Ryuuzashipping 100 Themes Meme
by Nintendo Queen
Summary: 100 Words; 100 Ryuuzashipping oneshots. Think you can handle it? I'm not sure if I can! SetoxOC Many, many AU's
1. Cooking

**I blame Kim for this one. But I went along with it. It's my 100 meme based on…I guess Ryuuzashipping. Let's see if I like my own pairing enough to spit out 100 drabbles on it. And for those who will actually read them all, my love to you!**

**Chapters have no rhyme or reason. I will use a word and write a story relating to said word. Some are AU, some are related to my fanfic, others…not sure what to say.**

**Disclaimer: As much as I wish Seto Kaiba was mine, he is not. He and any other Yugioh characters belong to Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own Kay and this very random fanfic.**

* * *

_**~One: Cooking~**_

"Geez, is he working late again?" She huffed as she eyed the clock for what had to be the twentieth time that night.

Sure enough, the cobalt-eyed brunette was running late for dinner…AGAIN.

What was this, the fifth time this week alone? By now the chicken in the oven was probably cold and the butter for the baked potatoes runny and unappealing.

The blonde had her arms crossed over her chest, a scowl on her face as her fingers drummed against her arms. She finally jumped up and wrenched the tray with baked chicken breasts from the oven forcefully, throwing them onto a plate furiously along with the lumpy, lukewarm potatoes she'd prepared over an hour ago.

"If I can make it home from work in time to cook, he can have the decency to come home in time to eat it!" she snarled, slamming the plate onto the table along with a hurriedly scribbled note before she finally stomped out of the dining room.

She opted to order in a pizza, not wanting to touch the food she'd spent the better part of two hours preparing only to find it cold and unappetizing as it waited for the man she'd bothered cooking for. Adelinda and Mokuba were out for the evening, leaving her alone in the mansion.

"_It's times like this I wish I still lived in my apartment…less empty space,"_ she thought with vexation as she debated the idea of calling Seto at the office to give him a piece of her mind.

But then again, what would that even accomplish? She'd already pointed out his excessive tardiness when it came to dinner and he **still** continued to keep her waiting to this day.

"Well, I finally figured out something Jounouchi excels in that Seto never will. He'd never keep his girlfriend waiting if she cooked for him," Kay grumbled. Then she wondered if Mai spent the time preparing food for her hyperactive little blonde. Admittedly, she could imagine it pretty well and the idea was rather charming in itself.

The doorbell rang and she carried the box of steaming pizza up to her room and plopped onto her bed, pulling out a slice and chomping on it. The cheese was melting all over the tomato sauce and she could taste the zing of green peppers as well as the meaty pepperoni and diced mushrooms.

She managed to get through three slices before deciding that enough was enough and closed the box, rolling to lie on her back as she watched a movie tiredly.

After another half hour, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Seto slipped into the mansion and set his briefcase down by the door, sighing. He looked around to see it was quiet downstairs and ventured into the kitchen to find a plate of 2 cold chicken breasts and baked potatoes along with a folded piece of notebook paper.

_Thanks for keeping me waiting…again! Hope you like eating your cold dinner, because I'm done cooking for you. You can order takeout or pizza from now on._

Seto quirked a brow and could picture her fuming in his mind as she shouted the words on the paper at him furiously before storming off. He sighed a bit and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

He really needed to practice not pissing this girl off once a week…

* * *

Kay stepped out of her car, groaning slightly. She was damn tired and her feet were hurting like hell from the pumps she'd been subjected to stand in all day. Today had been nothing but a series of meetings, projects, and phone calls with little time to stop, sit, and take a breather.

It was after 7, probably close to 8 at this point, and she fumbled for the house keys.

"Good to be home," she exhaled as she stepped into the mansion, kicking off those demon shoes immediately. Heels were well and good, but not for 9 hours of movement. Especially if they were over 2 inches and without gel insoles to provide some pain prevention.

She felt her stomach grumble crankily and sauntered into the kitchen to prepare a sandwich or something but the sight made her stop dead in her tracks.

Pots and pans were piled high in the sink and the stove was…filthy! Sauces, crumbs, and lord knows what else seemed to have formed some kind of crusty shell on the surface of the stove and had dripped onto the floor, creating oddly colored spots that, quite frankly, looked revolting on the normally pristine, checkered marble. The counters were littered with containers of various ingredients with some contents spilling, other containers empty and haphazardly thrown into the mix.

"W-what happened in here?" she cried.

"Ah, Miss Kay," Roland said, peeking his head in. "My apologies, we have not had the chance to begin cleaning in here."

"Roland, what the hell went on? Did Cat try having her cooking lessons here?" she asked, staring at what appeared to have been a tragic, cooking disaster.

"Actually, Master Seto tried his hand at this."

"What?"

"Yes, miss. Unfortunately he was unable to get a proper handle on it, though I believe the instructor was more incompetent than anything else. So, the kitchen wound up in this state."

"I see…" she mused, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "And where is he now?"

"I believe he is up in his room now." She nodded and walked out of the kitchen up the stairs to the master bedroom.

"Seto?" She peeked her head in to see him lying on his bed.

"Yeah?" Kay walked in and sat on the side of his bed.

"Why did you make the kitchen explode?" she asked, quirking a brow and he made a face.

"It did not explode! And how was I supposed to know that orange box had baking soda instead of flour in it?" he grumbled and Kay couldn't help but smile.

"Nevertheless, what were you trying to pull off?"

"I wanted to make up being late for dinner so I tried making you something for a change. It didn't work out." She couldn't help but start giggling and he glared at her.

"What's so funny?' he growled and she beamed.

"You are." She leaned over and pressed her mouth to his briefly. "Just promise me you'll try and come home on time and I promise I'll cook for you. And if you're going to be late, just call me so I won't sit around for hours."

"I guess that's fair," he said and she lay next to him, staring up at the ceiling.

"So what were you trying to make anyway?"

"I'm not really sure, honestly…it started as lasagna, then went to stew, then hamburgers…and it all went downhill from there." She couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Next time, a sandwich will do the job just fine."

"I don't intend on entering that kitchen again…"

"Then you can order in if I'm late, ok?"

"Or force Mokuba to cook?"

"He'd probably set the kitchen on fire."

"…good point."

* * *

**And so ends the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it and got some giggles out of it. Next word?**

_**Checkers**_


	2. Checkers

**Well, I wanted to take a break from studying for my archaeology final, so I thought I'd go ahead and do another chapter. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Yugioh and its characters are copyright of Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own this fanfic and my personal OC's. **

* * *

_**~Two: Checkers~**_

"What do you mean you don't play checkers?"

"It's a child's game. I play chess." Kay raised an eyebrow at Seto as he sat at the desk typing on his laptop.

"Just because it's less difficult than chess, you think you're above playing it."

"Yes," he stated simply.

"Good lord, Seto. I knew you were boring, but I never knew you were so arrogant you deprived yourself of EVERY aspect of childhood." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"I have better things to do than play such childish games, thank you."

"Is that so? Then I'll bet you couldn't even beat Jounouchi at checkers," Kay stated with a smirk.

"Are you joking? I could beat that mutt at any game, any time, any day."

"Then why don't you put your money where your mouth is?" Kay asked, smirking. Seto shut his laptop and leaned back in his chair.

"Go on."

"You and Jounouchi play checkers during lunch tomorrow. If he wins, you have to dress up like a puppy dog for an entire day and do whatever either of us tells you." Seto twitched and grimaced at the thought of such a horrible task.

"…rrg…fine."

"Good!"

"But when _**I**_ win, you and the mutt have to publically announce on my blimp that I am the greatest duelist and gamer in the world."

"Tch, fine."

"While Jounouchi is dressed as a dog and you wear a maid uniform," Seto added with a smirk. Kay sweatdropped.

"A maid outfit?" she repeated.

"Unless you prefer a monkey suit?"

"Ugh, no way! I'd prefer a maid outfit, not that I'll need one. Alright, Seto, you got yourself a deal!" she declared, thrusting her hand forward to seal it with a shake. She returned to her desk and their class began.

Eventually, lunch period arrived and she ran to the table where Jounouchi, Yugi, Anzu, and Honda were eating and slammed her palms onto the table.

"Jounouchi! Tomorrow during lunch you are going to play Seto in a game of checkers!" Jounouchi paused from eating his bowl of noodles to stare at Kay in perplexity.

"Why would I do that?" he garbled as he chewed a mouthful of ramen, causing Kay to grimace slightly before shaking her head.

"Because, if you win, Seto promised he'd dress up in a dog suit for a day and do whatever the two of us ask of him!" Jounouchi leapt to his feet, brown eyes widened in excitement.

"Whoa, seriously?"

"Yeah!"

"Then of course I'll do it!"

"Do you even know how to play checkers, Jounouchi?" Honda asked, sipping his soda. Jounouchi paused and scratched his chin.

"Uh…well…that's the one with the…board and the…pieces?" Kay paused and stared at him in disbelief.

"You…you don't even know how to play checkers?" she cried, grabbing him by the collar. "What kind of moron doesn't know how to play checkers?"

"Easy, Kay!" Yugi said frantically.

"Yugi, if he loses, Kaiba's going to make me dress up like and maid and make Jounouchi dress up like a dog and worship him publically on his BLIMP!"

"Wait, what? You didn't mention that!" Jounouchi cried. "Why would you drag me into something like that?"

"I figured even you were able to get a grasp on checkers! I never imagined you wouldn't know what it is!"

"Calm down you two," Anzu commanded as she stood up. "Look, it's simple. Tonight we'll meet up at the game shop and teach Jounouchi how to play checkers. How hard could it be?" she asked.

"And now's the part where everything goes wrong…" Kay grumbled, massaging her temples.

Sure enough, that evening, everyone was gathered at the table in the middle of Yugi's living room, attempting to show Jounouchi the basic ins and outs of checkers. And unfortunately, the blonde was quite hopeless when it came to mastering the game.

"Jounouchi, I don't understand why you're getting confused! The pieces can only move forward diagonally unless you reach the end of the board and king a piece, in which case it can move in any direction."

"I dunno, I want to move forward!"

"Ok, Jounouchi, just stop and examine your move. You want to avoid trapping your piece by your opponent's piece and getting jumped."

"At this rate we'll be in a dog suit and maid uniform in no time…" Kay mumbled, lying on the couch, playing with a Rubik cube.

"Hey, it's your fault we're in this mess!" Jounouchi snapped.

"Look, Jounouchi, it's not a hard game. Just think of it like duel monsters."

"How can you even attempt to connect checkers to duel monsters?" Honda asked incredulously.

"Hey, I'm normally pretty damn good at pulling off impossible tasks." Kay sat across from Jounouchi and pointed at his pieces. "Pretend your checker pieces are tokens, and we'll pretend each one represents 100 lifepoints. Now, each turn you can move a token. If you move a token to a space away from your enemy, it's in defense mode. If you jump an enemy, you went to attack mode and play a card to give it enough attack points to remove 100 of your opponent's lifepoints. You want to knock out all of your opponent's lifepoints and make your monsters stronger by placing them in your opponent's territory so you can eliminate lifepoints faster."

"Kay, that has to be the stupidest method of explaining checkers to anyone I've ever hear-" Honda started.

"I get it…" Jounouchi said, his eyes widened in amazement and everyone aside from him and Kay fell over.

"Seriously?" they cried. Kay smirked.

"Are you ready, Jounouchi?"

"Yes! Bring it on!"

* * *

Kay and Jounouchi stood outside the school at a table, board already set up when Seto walked outside.

"So, you came, Kaiba," Jounouchi stated, crossing his arms over his chest as a wind blew dramatically, sweeping over the school yard.

"Why don't we just get this over with, Jounouchi? I don't have much time to spare on the likes of you," Seto said coolly.

"Don't worry, this won't take long."

"How right you are. Don't worry; I've already had a dog suit ordered just for you." Jounouchi growled and they both sat down.

"Bring it on!" they both growled and the game began. (Cue 1980's montage)

The game raged on, the pieces piling up on each side as they continued to knock out one another. But before long, Jounouchi's red pieces were mounting higher and higher on Seto's side of the board and Seto continued to king each of his pieces and attacked mercilessly.

Kay chewed on her nails anxiously as she watched the game, silently praying for a miracle as Jounouchi was cornered.

"It's over mutt! I hope you're ready to announce to the world who here is the ultimate duelist and gamer!" Seto slammed his piece down and claimed Jounouchi's red king, leaving only a single man on the board.

"No!" Jounouchi cried, slamming his fists to the table. "This can't be the end…"

"Face up to your failure, mutt. There's nothing you can do to stop me now." Jounouchi grit his teeth and racked his brain for a solution to get out of this situation. There had to be something…anything…

His eyes widened.

"_That's it!"_

He began to chuckle and sat back in his chair, shaking his head.

"Ah, Kaiba, Kaiba. That big ego of yours has really cost you this time." Seto narrowed his eyes.

"What are you talking about, Jounouchi?"

"Just take a look at the board." Seto blinked and stared before his eyes widened in horror.

"It…it can't be!"

"You've lined up your kings perfectly for me to jump over them all and king my own piece. Which will leave you with a single man and me a king." Jounouchi gripped his piece and hopped Seto's four kings with a smirk as Seto watched in horror. "King me!"

"Way to go, Jounouchi!" Kay cheered.

"Damn it, Mutt! This isn't over yet!"

"Oh, it's over. Admit defeat, Kaiba."

"Never! I refuse to lose to the likes of you!" Seto moved his piece and Jounouchi chased him with a look of extreme determination. At last, Seto's piece was cornered and he could no longer move.

"Victory…is mine, Kaiba." Kay jumped up and down with a cheer and Seto's head fell against the table. He felt like a hollow shell, completely stunned and ashamed.

"I…I can't believe I lost…to Jounouchi…" He almost imagined the wind blowing him away as dust into the distance, but he was not quite so lucky as he came face-to-face with two smirking blondes.

"So how about that dog suit, Seto?" He grimaced and was pulled up to his feet and dragged away by the two, knowing fighting was absolutely futile…

* * *

"…woof…" Seto said as he stood in the center of Kaibaland with Kay and Jounouchi.

"Now tell everyone how I'm a far better duelist than you'll ever be!" Jounouchi declared with a laugh.

"I'm going to kill you…" Seto growled.

"Now, now, puppy. Behave yourself, or we'll have to punish you!" Kay scolded, wagging her finger and Seto resisted the urge to bite her.

"…Katsuya Jounouchi is a far duelist than I'll ever be…" Seto finally choked out, feeling the bile rise as he almost retched on the sidewalk. But he somehow held it in as passersby stared at him in confusion and amusement, some with sympathy.

"Now tell everyone that you…secretly love the Blue Eyes White Dragon and have a shrine dedicated to it in your closet!" Kay commanded, giggling.

"…I will exact my revenge upon you."

"Come on, Seto, you lost fair and square."

"Isn't there something else you two want me to do besides shout embarrassing lies to the general public?" Seto grumbled and the two exchanged glances.

"Ooh, I have something I personally want to see him do!" Kay chirped with an evil grin that immediately had Seto regret his words.

"What…is it?" he managed to grit out, silently pondering what Hellish force had urged him to splutter such suicidal words.

"Come on!" she grabbed his "paw" and dragged him away from the park, Jounouchi chasing after them.

-0-

"W-wait, you really want me to do this?"

"Yeah!" Kay straightened Seto's tie and grinned. "Perfect. You actually clean up pretty nicely, Seto." It was true. The tall, lithe teen wore a white tuxedo with a deep red, button-up shirt and a white, silk tie with the letters "KC" embroidered in silver thread.

Jounouchi handed Seto the bouquet of red roses and the chocolates, his own smirk widening.

"I'll admit, Kay, this one is pretty cruel of you."

"But it'll be so funny! And it's not like this one isn't justified."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Now go on, Seto. Exactly like we told you to." Seto sighed, shaking his head before walking out of the bushes and up to the designated house. He exhaled and rang the doorbell, his eyes half-lidded.

Before long, the door opened and a petite, porcelain-skinned girl with curly, ebony hair and pink eyes stared at Seto in excitement.

"Kaiba-kun?" she squealed, causing him to cringe.

"Hello, Minako…" he grumbled.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, fluffing her hair. "If I'd know you were coming, I'd have put on something more presentable." Seto eyed her briefly. Her face was caked on with make-up and she wore a denim skirt and a black tank top with a rhinestone star on her chest.

"I came…to ask you out on a date," he said simply. Her eyes widened.

"R-really?" He didn't answer and the excited, girlish expression was replaced with an arrogant smirk. "Well, it's about time. I knew you would never be able to resist my charms, Kaiba-kun. I am the most beautiful girl at Domino High, after all!" Seto's eyes darted to the bush where he saw the thumbs up.

"Yes, you're the most beautiful girl, Minako. If we were comparing you to a puss-filled boil and to retched-up toad." Minako froze, her jaw dropping and Seto couldn't help but smirk. "So kindly stop your irritating stalking, I have better things to do, and far better things to date. In fact, I met this lovely pole the other day. Had twice your personality and looks." Seto dropped the chocolates and flowers on the ground in front of her feet. "Enjoy that." She turned and walked off, hearing her infuriated shriek as she stomped on the box that supposedly contained chocolate, only to have a white, chunky substance explode out and coat her.

She screamed and ran inside as Jounouchi and Kay rolled over laughing.

"That was priceless!"

"I know!" Seto walked over to the two, crossing his arms as they continued to laugh.

"Are the two of you quite finished?"

"Come on, Seto, even you have to admit that was hilarious!" Kay managed to say between her giggles. He simply rolled his eyes and she stood up, dusting off her uniform while Jounouchi continued to laugh.

"Why did you even bother having me do something like that?" Seto asked.

"Why not? She's an annoying little bitch who constantly obsesses over you and tries to pick a fight with any girl that goes within ten-feet of you."

"Oh? Does that bother you?" he asked, smirking and she scoffed.

"As if! But I've seen plenty of girls cry over her bullying, and I figured this was a good chance for revenge and blackmail."

"And here was me thinking you might be jealous." Kay smirked.

"Oh? You sound a little too happy with that, Seto. Then again, you did want me to dress up as a maid for you…" she purred and relished the instant where she actually made Seto Kaiba speechless AND blush the faintest shade of pink as he took half a step back. She couldn't keep the expression and doubled over in another fit of giggles. "Oh man, too easy!"

"What's going on?" Jounouchi asked as he fished the tape out of the camera.

"Nothing," Seto grumbled while Kay merely continued to laugh at him. "Be quiet, will you?" Jounouchi looked back and forth between the two in confusion before shrugging.

"Well, I think I'm satisfied for the day. I'll see you two later…oh, and Kaiba? Don't forget my million yen."

"Yeah, yeah, you'll get it!" Seto snapped, glaring and Jounouchi grinned in victory.

* * *

**Yes, this chapter was meant for humor, and I had fun with this one. I had been picking on Jounouchi a lot so I thought it'd be fun to include him in this chapter. And it was! When he and Kay team up, they can be a force to be reckoned with!**

**As for who Minako is, she was a rival OC I created to represent the worst of Seto Kaiba fangirls. She was only used in my FAC fanfics (which are awful, I beg of you all not to go and read them…) and maaaaaaay or may not be featured in a future fanfic idea I have in the works… -blinks innocently-**

**NEXT WORD! **

_**Light**_** (And no, not the one from Death Note)**


	3. Light

**Tis another chapter! I have nothing more to say, so let it commence!**

**Disclaimer: Yugioh and its characters are copyright of Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own this fanfic and my personal OC's. **

* * *

_**~Three: Light~**_

"Why do cards have attribute types?" Anzu asked and Kay blinked, looking over at her.

"What are you talking about, Anzu?"

"Like…dark, light, fire…it just seems like there's little use to these features on monsters except for a few magic cards that utilize them." Kay picked up the card and examined it briefly.

"Actually, there was a reason for it, but it was removed from the game because it made it a little bit more complicated and frustrating for players in the original test modules."

"What was it?" Jounouchi asked.

"Well, originally, the types were used in battle and could give a weaker card an immediate edge over a stronger monster and attack points wouldn't matter."

"Wait, attack points wouldn't matter?"

"Right. Take the Dark Magician and Blue Eyes White Dragon. Dark Magician has 2500 attack points and it is normally a dark attribute. However, in the older version, this card was actually a shadow attribute. The Blue Eyes is a light attribute monster and has 3000 attack points. If we were playing duel monsters the way it was originally designed and you had a shadow attribute Dark Magician, it wouldn't matter if the Blue Eyes had 500 more attack points, Dark Magician could destroy it instantly. And if the Blue Eyes attacked, it would be destroyed immediately."

"No way!" Honda exclaimed. Kay nodded.

"But because of this rule, attack points were almost pointless at some instances and if a weaker monster destroyed a stronger monster because of attribute advantage, there would be no lifepoint damage directed to the opponent. So, you can see why this wasn't a popular choice for the game. But by the time the final product came out, the attributes were already a part of the cards and it seemed pointless to go back and get rid of them."

"That makes sense," Yugi said with a nod and everyone else agreed.

"Kinda cool to know that," Jounouchi said, picking up the Dark Magician before grinning. "Bet Kaiba would flip his wig if he ever tried playing by those rules, huh?"

"Yeah, but he still can't beat Yugi, so that rule would probably just result in him losing quicker!" Honda pointed out with a laugh. Jounouchi laughed too.

"You're right, man! But he'd probably start crying if his precious card got whooped by a weak monster just like that! 'Ohhh, my precious Blue Eyes! How could I lose you so easily! Waah!'"

"U-uh, Jounouchi?" Kay said, her eyes widening slightly.

"'My beloved dragon! I would so rather date you than get a real girlfriend! And now you're dead, how cruel!'" Jounouchi cried dramatically and Kay face palmed.

"This is about to get ugly…" A hand landed on Jounouchi's shoulder and the blonde froze and looked up into a very cold, dark pair of blue eyes that belonged to a particular, teenage billionaire.

"What was that you were saying…mutt?" Seto growled lowly and everyone glances at Jounouchi nervously, and he seemed to be petrified.

"He was just joking, Kaiba," Kay said. "We all know the reason why you don't have a girlfriend isn't because you're obsessed with a dragon…you don't have a girlfriend because you're an egotistical, socially awkward, work-obsessed, overly-competitive, prude!" she said with a smile and Seto's evil gaze was now directed at her and he released Jounouchi.

"Big talk…" he said icily.

"What? Did I hit a nerve?" she asked with a smirk.

"Tch, hardly."

"Alright guys, why don't you both just calm down," Yugi said quickly, standing up to keep the two separated.

"Yeah, class is about to start. Now's not the time to start a fight!" Anzu added. Honda nodded and Kay twirled a bit of her hair on her finger.

"Not my fault Egoman over there can't take a joke."

"Hardly my fault if these two can't keep their big mouths shut," Seto growled and he earned Kay glaring and sticking her tongue out at him.

"I swear, the two of you act more like 6-year-olds than high-schoolers sometimes…" Anzu sighed.

"We do not!"

"Yes, you do." The teacher walked in and everyone took their seats, Kay and Seto glaring at each other the entire time.

* * *

"So then what happened?" Mokuba asked. He and Adelinda were sitting in the kitchen eating some chocolate parfaits Kay had prepared for them as she cleaned up.

"And then he knocked over the entire case with basketballs and one of them hit the coach in the head, so gym was cancelled. It was so funny; you guys would have died laughing."

"I'll bet!" The three laughed and the two finished up their parfaits before going up to Mokuba's room to watch a movie. Kay decided to sit downstairs and watch Angel Beats! while finishing up some homework.

After about an hour, the door opened and Seto walked into the mansion.

"Oh, it's you," he said frowning slightly and she rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I am breathing the air of your mansion. My apologies." He rolled his eyes as well and set his briefcase down.

"Where is Mokuba?"

"Upstairs watching a movie with Adelinda." He glanced over at the TV before casting his gaze back to her.

"Anime? Really?"

"What? I like this show!" she protested with a frown and he snickered.

"You really do act like a kid."

"What, and you don't?"

"I'm not the one who started that fight today," he growled.

"No, but you certainly didn't try to defuse the situation. You know how Jounouchi gets, why can't you just brush off those jokes?"

"Why should I allow that lowly duelist to mock me?" Seto challenged and Kay rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Seto; get off your high horse once in a while. Even if Jounouchi's not a better duelist than y-"

"He's not," Seto stated simply and Kay frowned.

"My point is, you need to lighten up once in a while and yank the stick out of your arse or whatever it is that makes you so damn crabby all the time."

"If you and your friends weren't such a pain, maybe I wouldn't act this way."

"Oh, so it's suddenly my fault you're such a prick?" Kay asked.

"Quite frankly, yes!"

This argument went back and forth for a while before they finally got frustrated and stopped; sitting next to each other on the couch with their arms crossed and pouts on their faces.

"…you know…" Kay said sitting back, "this whole thing started over attributes in duel monsters."

"What?" Seto asked giving her a weird look.

"I told everyone how, before the game really took off, there was a rule in regards to monster attributes. There were certain advantages each attribute had. For example, a shadow monster can destroy a light monster no matter what the attack difference is. The Dark Magician was originally a shadow monster, so it had the ability to kill Blue Eyes instantly."

"What the hell?" Seto asked.

"And that's why the rule was dropped," Kay said simply.

"How can shadow beat light?" he asked in disbelief.

"Think of it this way, Seto…Light can defeat darkness, but shadows are born from light. They can overtake the light of the sun easily, which is why we seek shade in the intense heat of the sun." Seto frowned a bit.

"That's ridiculous."

"Yeah, well, I didn't make the rules. Bitch to uncle if it annoys you so badly."

"I just might." She smiled a bit and stood up.

"Well, I'll go get Adelinda and we'll head home." She walked up the stairs and Seto frowned a bit before pulling out his cell phone and dialing a number.

"…hello, Pegasus? What the hell were you thinking about shadow beating light?" Seto growled, retreating to his office on the phone.

* * *

**Yeah, I wasn't sure what to really do with light, so I decided to go ahead and play with the duel monster attributes. I remember in one game I played the attributes mattered and it was such a pain in the ass! And one of the major ones was shadow beating light, so Dark Magician could kill Blue Eyes.**

**Thought that'd be fun to use. Next word?**

_**Dark **_**(Not from D.N. Angel)**


	4. Dark

**Hi guys. Well, since both Cat and Kim got a new chapter up, I thought I'd go ahead and do the same. Though I'm quite sad i had only 2 reviews last time...but it's ok. I hope you guys like this chapter better! It was more fun to write, I give it that! **

**Disclaimer: Yugioh and its characters are copyright of Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own this fanfic and my personal OC's. **

* * *

_**~Four: Dark~**_

"Hey, watch it!"

"That's my line."

_Drip. _

"OW! That was my foot!"

"Then don't walk so fast!"

"Geez!"

The low rumbling of thunder could be heard outside.

"Kaiba, your mansion is like a friggin maze! How can it be so difficult to find the candles in this place?"

"I don't know where Roland left them last time the power went out."

"You ought to know! Be grateful it's just rain and not something worse, or we'd be screwed!"

"I'm trapped here in the dark with your big mouth, I hardly count myself grateful."

_THWACK!_

"OUCH!"

"Be grateful it's too dark for me to hit below the belt…literally." Seto grumbled some obscenities and the two continued to navigate down the dark hallway, seeking out candles or a flashlight. They could hear the rain pouring outside again and sighed a bit.

The power in the mansion had gone out well over half an hour ago and the two were stuck alone and practically blind.

Roland was probably with Adelinda and Mokuba, waiting out the storm somewhere and Kay silently cursed herself for bothering to come to the mansion to work with Seto on a Duel Monsters project between Industrial Illusions and Kaiba Corp.

"Damn it, Seto, that's the fifth time I've run into you! Can you please give me some sort of warning before you just stop?"

"Will you just shut up for a minute?" he grumbled before wriggling the door knob and opening it slowly. "I think this might be the storage room. Roland normally keeps batteries and other things of the sort in here, hopefully there's a flashlight."

"Well fan tucking fastic."

"Just be quiet and come on." The two of them groped the walls, desperately attempting to navigate the pitch black room and Kay heard a crashing sound and spun around in alarm.

"Seto?"

"Damn it!" came the slightly weak curse and she blinked, not daring to venture forward and risk injuring him and/or herself in the process.

"What happened?"

"Ran into a shelf…Jesus Christ that hurt!" She heard him shuffling as he stood back up, continuing to curse under his breath.

"This was a bad idea, Seto. We shouldn't have moved from the living room. At this rate, we'll kill ourselves before we even find a light source."

"Your optimism is almost too much to bear," Seto sighed sarcastically as he continued to feel along the shelves for anything useful.

Kay exhaled, feeling her cell phone in her pocket. The damn thing had died about ten minutes after the lights went out and she didn't carry a lighter or anything else that could help them out.

"Wait, I think found something." She waited a moment, listening to Seto moving in the dark and heard the sound of him striking a match before a small flame glowed before them.

The pitiful little light barely illuminated Seto's face, but it was certainly better than the absolute darkness.

"Now, perhaps we can get somewhere." Seto held the fire up to the shelves and scoured them before pausing.

"Did you find something?"

"Yes." He reached up and grabbed something before blowing out the already dwindling flame. Kay grunted slightly as her eyes were forced to readjust to the darkness before Seto turned on a flashlight and aimed it towards her.

"Well, that's certainly an improvement."

"But it looks like we're out of batteries so we'd better go back to the living room before this thing dies on us too."

"Hey, do you have any logs near the fireplace?" Kay asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"Bring the matches, we can light up the logs and at least have a fire going for a while. I'm sure it'll be enough for the duration of the storm." Seto nodded briefly and pocketed the matches before the two ventured out into the hallway again.

The mansion had been creepy in the dark because there was no telling was around you. But to wander it with only a small beam of light as a measure of defense somehow felt even more unnerving. It was like something out of a bad horror movie.

Regardless, Kay couldn't help but step a little closer to Seto as they retraced their steps to the living room. The room wasn't a pitch black, but it was almost impossible to make out any of the shapes without the flashlight as the downpour continued mercilessly outside the windows, the occasional streak of lightning tearing the sky.

"Where is the firewood?"

"There should be one or two logs next to it in that black container. The rest is in the cellar."

"We'll just have to make do with what we have." Kay approached the shiny, black container that was shaped a little like a basket combined with a crescent moon and pulled the lid off. Sure enough, two logs lay inside and she lifted them carefully and tossed them in the cold bed of the fire. "Hand me the matches."

Seto obliged and she lit one before tossing it onto the wood, causing it to quickly enflame and cast a comforting, orange glow into the room. She sighed in relief and fell back onto the couch, thankful for the visibility again.

"I forget what visual creatures we are sometimes," she said. Seto merely nodded and took the seat next to her somewhat awkwardly and she kept her gaze on the fire crackling merrily in the hearth.

The only sound between them was their quiet breathing as the torrent continued and the fire sparked and popped.

"…hey Seto?"

"What is it now?"

"Why are you so rude to everyone?" she asked. Seto paused and stared at her and she merely shrugged. "I mean, I know you're not heartless. You are so sweet to Mokuba when nobody's really around, but why do you have such an attitude all the time? There's a difference between being professional and quiet to being an all-around jerk for no valid reason."

"I am not an all-around jerk," he grumbled and she gave him a sideways glance.

"Come on, Seto, it's just me here. I'm not going to go around blabbing to everyone if you let your guard down for a change."

"Tch," he said, looking away from her. She cocked her head a bit and scooted closer to him.

"Come on, Seto. Now's the time you can vent or do whatever without worrying about it."

"Why do you suddenly care?"

"I'm bored," she said with a slightly childish whine in her voice and Seto had to resist face palming at the response.

"_Figures!"_

"And I've always been curious…" she admitted. "You always seem so angry and unhappy with everything and I know you had a hard childhood, but it just doesn't seem to add up. You and Mokuba are well off now, so why do you keep feeling so miserable?" Seto furrowed his brows at the question, hearing the sincere concern in her voice which halted the snarky remark that had started to form inside of his throat.

Why indeed…?

"I…I suppose it's like a safeguard…" he finally mumbled.

"A safeguard?"

"Consider it like this…since Mokuba and I were kids, life was hard. We couldn't trust anyone but each other and had to fend for ourselves. I had to protect him, but I couldn't always do so. Some days I was so angry and frustrated I'd do terrible things and lash out at him…so I try not to let myself seem weak. Happiness…I feel it, naturally, but when you let others on to what makes you feel at ease, they can use it against you. Mokuba is the one person who does make me like that and that's why he's been the victim of kidnappings by my enemies in the past."

"That actually makes a lot of sense," she said quietly.

"I don't like the idea of the people around me getting tangled up with my problems. It's just been a part of my nature, which is why the idea of friendship and such irritate me because it only seems to cause more harm than good."

"Seto, you should know that's not true. Look at Yugi and the gang, they build on each other which make them stronger in the end."

"They're different…they always preach about it and they're like a rash you can't seem to get rid of. I never had something like they have, and I don't think I'd be able to develop relationships in that sense without trying to run." She paused and processed his words before moving closer to him and wrapping her arms around him.

"Is this ok?" she asked and she could feel him nod his head slightly and she didn't move. "You know…I get the feeling that everyone would love you if you let this side of you out a bit more."

"I have no interest in making the world love me. That's a childish notion."

"I guess."

"There's not guessing about what simply is." She made a face and pulled back slightly, looking at him before a particularly loud crash of thunder made her yelp and lose her balance, knocking them both into the couch cushions.

"S-sorry," she stammered in embarrassment and she propped herself up on her arms and he snickered a bit.

"Geez, you're such a klutz."

"Am not!" she protested with a pout.

"Yes you are. I'm surprised you haven't broken ever bone in your body yet." She lightly hit him on the head and lay down on top of him, sticking her tongue out.

"Just for that, I'm not letting you get up."

"You know you're not so heavy I can't push you off."

"You'd be willing to let my head crack open and kill me?" she asked, feigning shock and he rolled his eyes.

"That short drop won't kill you."

"It could!" she insisted.

"Yeah, yeah," he said slowly, his eyes half-lidded.

"So, tell me, if you don't want relationships with people because you're worried about them getting mixed up in your personal, drama-filled life…does that mean you never intend to try settling down, having a family?"

"It's not one of my top priorities," he admitted.

"And here I thought you liked me," she sighed dramatically and he poked her forehead.

"Some days I think I'm ready to kill you, you're so annoying."

"Ah! Hurtful!" He gripped the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair.

"Yes, well…the rest of the time I'm not allowed to say what I'd like to do." She smiled and bit and leaned closer.

"You can say what you want here. Nobody's around."

"Yes, I know," he said slowly, his breath ghosting her lips.

"I'm starting to miss the dark," she sighed.

"Why's that?"

"Because it's normally the only time you let me do this." She leaned down, pressing her lips to his and his free arm wound around her waist as he returned the kiss slowly.

The rain continued outside but neither of them noticed as the fire continued to die. They were lost in the world created from the quiet serenity of the darkness. The sweet, alluring shade that kept their deepest secrets from the rest of the world.

* * *

**One-word…FLUFF! Yeah, I had a fluffy chapter in here. I couldn't resist. As for the story on Kay and Seto being in this secret relationhip...I didn't care enough to think of a backstory! So I'll leave it your -rainbow- Imaginaaaaaaaaaaaation.**

**So, there you have it folks. But, for the next chappie, can I please have more reviews? Reviews make me so happy! I like knowing what you all think, what can be improved, what was friggin amazing! I just enjoy reading them (so long as they aren't garbage-filled flames that irritate me to no end…)**

**Next word? **

_**Solace**_


	5. Solace

**This chapter will involve some Ryuuzashipping AND Lotusshipping. (For those who don't know, Lotusshipping is my SethxKhephera pairing) So enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Yugioh and its characters are copyright of Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own this fanfic and my personal OC's. **

* * *

_**~Five: Solace~**_

"_It wasn't meant to be…"_

Yes, those thoughts would always course through my being painfully as I watched them, even for those fleeting moments when I accidently stumbled upon it.

But I could not ever hate her…what kind of cruel person would I be if I did?

She'd suffered so much since her birth, all because of her exotic appearance. Porcelain skin that neither tanned nor burned in the pounding desert sun. Eyes the color of rich pools that seemed to torment us in mirages. And her hair, a beautiful blue-white color that flowed like a river of ice.

I met her in the village one day when I was out shopping for Lady Isis. She was curled up in an alley, the tears dried on her face. Hungry, filthy, frightened. The moment she saw me, she started pleading to me not to harm her and I realized the dirt on her was actually a series of bruises.

Before long, I had taken her to the palace to tend to her wounds and provide her with a much needed meal.

The girl was silent the entire time and continuously looked around fearfully, despite my attempts to calm her.

Eventually, she told me her name.

"Kisara." I paused and looked at her.

"That's your name?" She nodded.

"Yes."

"Alright then. I'm Khephera."

"Khephera?" she repeated, experimenting with the sound before offering me the first attempt at a smile since I met her and nodding. "Khephera!" she said again, with more confidence and I couldn't help but smile back.

I had the servants prepare a bed for her and she stayed the night in the chambers near mine. The following morning, she insisted she had to return to the desert, despite my protests. I was able to convince her to bring a sack with bread and fruit and a jar with water and she smiled again, more sincerely than before.

"Thank you. I shall never forget your kindness to me, Khephera." And those were the last words before she disappeared.

It was over four years before I saw her again…unconscious in Priest Seth's arms.

And that's where it began.

"_It wasn't meant to be."_

He had saved her years before I'd even known either of them. From the clutches of some cruel men in the desert who kept her locked up and exploited her fragile beauty as a wretched abomination. I had never even known…

I could see it in their eyes whenever they looked at each other. Her obvious adoration, his desire to protect her…I knew I could never compete and refused to bother trying. She, along with Luna and Mana, had become my most precious friend. I could never betray that for my own selfish desires. Nor could I chance to happiness of the only man I'd ever known to love.

Unfortunately, it appeared my words to me applied to them as well. Priest Akhenaden became corrupted by the powers of darkness and betrayed all of us, creating a war that exceeded anything Egypt had ever faced before.

Our Ka monsters could not fare in battle against so much darkness and we lost so many people. More than half of the royal court perished, trying to protect the pharaoh and our kingdom.

"Pharaoh, I'm going with you! I want to help you find Seth. And do not tell me not to because I will follow you anyway." He smiled a bit.

"Very well, Khephera."

The horse carried me to the temple quickly, but…I was too late.

I saw her…bleeding and broken as she fell back into Seth's arms, his own eyes wide in horror.

"Kisara…Kisara!" I screamed, leaping off my horse and running towards them. The spirit of the Blue Eyes sank into the stone…and I knew it was too late to save her. I sank onto the ground at her side, clutching her hand in mine and she opened her eyes slowly.

"Khephera? Seth?" she whispered weakly and I nodded, struggling to fight back the tears in my eyes.

"We're here, Kisara, just hold on." Her lips curved into a gently, pained smile.

"I'm sorry, Kisara…" Seth whispered. "I…I couldn't protect you…" She cupped the side of his face.

"It's not your fault, Seth," she whispered. I couldn't hold back as I sobbed, hugging her hand tightly. She'd gone through so much…why did Ra allow such darkness to take her from us when she has always been nothing but radiant light?

"Kisara, please don't go," I pleaded desperately. "Perhaps it isn't too late…we can take you to the palace, heal your wounds-"

"Khephera…I'm sorry, but it's too late. But please don't be sad. I'll be here for you both. You were my first real friend, Khephera. You didn't judge me because I was different or try to use me because of my power. And Seth, you took care of me and saved me from those who wanted to hurt me. I value both of you more than any other people I've met before. So please…do not cry for me…I will always be there to protect you both whenever you need me." And she exhaled her final breath, her pale hand finally falling limp. My eyes widened and Seth gripped her tighter.

"K-Kisara? Kisara!" I knew it in my heart that she was gone from this world…but I could not bear the truth as I cried harder than I ever have in my life, hugging her body.

This was the first time I'd ever seen Seth cry. The sight was painful and strange…

We fought Akhenaden and Kisara answered my prayer to keep Seth safe from the darkness, to which I thank the radiant Ra for every single day.

"_Khephera…" _I could see her spirit stand before me, her eyes sad and her smile kind as she took my hand. _"I can no longer be in this world with you, but I can protect both you and Seth. Please…use my power to protect everyone."_

"I promise I will…Kisara."

"_Thank you. Thank you for all you have done for me and know that I will carry these precious memories with me forever."_ And then she was gone…the woman we knew as Kisara no longer existed in our world. Only her ka, the beautiful Blue Eyes White Dragon would remain to keep our memory of her alive.

I sat next to her body and Seth came up next to me, staring down with eyes that were clouded by pain and regret.

"This is all my fault…"

"No, Seth, it isn't," I whispered and he knelt down, taking her body in his arms.

"If I had been stronger…if I'd been able to combat the darkness in my heart, I could have saved her."

"You did what you could…Akhenaden's dark magic was too powerful for you to fight alone. You cannot blame yourself. Kisara…Kisara would not wish for that."

"I know…but that doesn't make the pain go away."

"Only time will do that." I hesitantly placed my hand on his shoulder as a weak attempt to comfort him.

He was everything and nothing to me all at once. Everything because he was my kindred spirit in our connection to the Blue Eyes and to the protection of our Kingdom. Nothing because I had to bury my love for the sake of my friend, whose memory cannot be discarded for such a selfish purpose as mortal love.

Pain is what makes me remember that I'm human.

Pain is what allows us to grow.

Solace is a gift none of us deserve, but something we must constantly try to give.

* * *

"Kay?"

Her eyes opened and she saw Mokuba and Adelinda looking down at her worriedly.

"Kay, were you having a nightmare?" Adelinda asked worriedly. "You kept thrashing and were crying in your sleep." She sat up slowly, placing a trembling hand to her head.

"Yeah…but it wasn't really a dream…more like a distant memory," she said softly. Adelinda and Mokuba exchanged looks worriedly and Kay got up from the couch. "I'll be alright, I just want to go outside a bit and calm down."

"Ok…let us know if you need anything." She nodded and walked outside into the gardens. The crisp winter air felt refreshing on her flesh and she could feel the snow crunching under the boots she wore and exhaled, her breath forming small white puffs of smoke.

"You sure you're alright?" She stopped and turned to see Seto leaned against the doorway, watching her.

"Yes, I'll be fine."

"What memory was it?" he asked simply and she frowned a bit.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He walked out onto the snow and stood next to her, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Try me."

"…I saw…Kisara dying in the arms of your past life." Seto refrained from rolling his eyes, but Kay knew he inwardly did so and sighed a bit, trying not to feel annoyed. "I saw myself…my past life in so much pain over her death…over him."

"Over him?" Seto asked, quirking a brow.

"You know Kisara loved Seth, right? And he loved her?" she asked, walking forward, thankful the cold air tinted her cheeks pink because she felt her skin warm with slight embarrassment.

"Yes, I'm aware. Isis told me about it once."

"Khephera also loved Seth," Kay said softly, fighting back the urge to blush more deeply and she heard Seto pause. "But Kisara was her friend, and she had no intention of trying to steal her friend's chance at happiness with the man she loved. So…she locked her feelings in her heart. I could feel that pain through that dream." She placed a hand on her chest. "To love someone so sincerely and have to suppress those feelings for the sake of another…it was terrible. I felt nauseous afterwards and so undeniably sad."

"Do you think you'd be willing to do that?" he asked.

"Keep such strong emotions trapped inside me?" she asked and he nodded. "I'm not sure…it depends on the reason why I could do something of the sort." Kay looked up at the gray sky. "The last thoughts I received from Khephera before I woke up were these…' Pain is what makes me remember that I'm human. Pain is what allows us to grow. Solace is a gift none of us deserve, but something we must constantly try to give.'"

"Sounds like something out of a fortune cookie," Seto grumbled.

"But it's true, isn't it?" she asked, looking at him. He paused and sighed a bit with a shrug.

"How should I know?"

"Come on, Seto, don't you normally have the answers for everything?" she asked with a small smile and Seto frowned slightly before stepping closer.

"Not everything…" She gave a small sneeze and he quirked a brow before sighing and removing his jacket, draping it over her shoulders carefully. "Come on; let's go back inside before you catch a cold. Mokuba and Adelinda would never forgive me if I let that happen." She nodded slowly and followed him back to the mansion, wrapping the coat around her. She could feel its warmth and breathed in the faint smell of Seto's cologne.

"_I don't know if I could do such a thing…" _She watched Seto walk inside and felt her face heat up. _"I don't know if I love him yet…but hopefully I'll find the answer soon enough."_

"You coming?" he called.

"Ah, yeah!" She hurried inside after stomping the snow off her boots and kicking them off. Roland offered her a mug of hot cocoa and she plopped on the couch with Mokuba and Adelinda, sipping it as Seto sat down next to her. They turned on a movie and she eyed him from the corner of her eye before leaning a bit closer to him. "Thank you, Seto."

She rested slightly against his side and drank her hot chocolate, focusing her attention on the movie and not noticing the faint pink on Seto's face. But she did note the hand placed on her shoulder and mumbled "No problem."

A small smile played on her lips and she leaned into him, almost experimentally and decided she enjoyed the feeling of being close to him.

* * *

**Yes, I cheated and quoted some of Sunshine and Moonshine for the parts with Khephera. I also changed the story of how Kisara and Khephera met for the sake of this chapter. Consider it an AU, I suppose.**

**But I liked this one. I think it was just fluffy enough, but also utterly depressing enough to make it a decent chapter.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed it, please review!**

**The next word?**

_**Eyes**_


	6. Eyes

**I'm sorry, this chapter is very short. I'm afraid I was unable to span it out much longer without it feeling too unnaturally forced and disgustingly corny. So I kept it condensed to this length, but I hope you all like it anyway.**

**Disclaimer: Yugioh and its characters are copyright of Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own this fanfic and my personal OC's. **

* * *

_**~Six: Eyes~**_

He wasn't entirely sure what it was…but it did throw him off slightly. Normally, he felt so sure of himself. Everything in the world had a meaning, and he defined it perfectly in his mind and never questioned anything; least of all himself.

But lately, that logic had been thrown out the window for a reason he still couldn't seem to wrap his head around.

It begins with the color green.

Nothing seemingly particularly fantastic about it. It is just a color; no better or worse than any other.

But some would argue the power that the color green holds. It is the signal of life, of the sweet-scented grass and the leaves in the tree. It is the color of vivid emeralds, glittering proudly in the light on the throats of elegant women or the rings of wealthy gents.

Still, even in that form of context, the color green had never been particularly astounding to him.

The color alone was not what was causing his entire mental state to spin into a tilt-a-whirl of chaos. No, there was more behind it.

Take that green and paint a pair of irises with it…take care to ensure the shade is that of fresh grass in the spring and reflects the light vividly. Place two pupils in said green field to form a pair of brilliant pools that were clear and bright enough to reflect anything caught within them and capture the light so mesmerizingly.

The green is framed by dark, sweeping lashes that cast soft shadows along the lower crease and shield those green mirrors from the inquiring world when necessary.

A pair of eyes…

This is what was reducing him to this mass of blasted confusion…a pair of green eyes.

These particular eyes belonged to perhaps the most obnoxious woman he'd ever had the displeasure of knowing. Kay Simms.

Junior at Domino High School. A little over 5 feet, 6 inches. Age 16, almost 17. German-American heritage. Niece to Pegasus J. Crawford. 3.89 GPA. Blonde hair. And those damn green eyes.

This girl had quite the attitude on her that simply drove Seto out of his mind.

She showed him absolutely no respect, hung around with Yugi and those annoying friends of his, and constantly picked fights with him. Ok, fine, he started a few of those fights, but she only made the situation worse!

But despite how much he reminded himself of how she vexed him to no end, he failed to convince his mind to cease obsessing over her eyes and how entrancing they were.

What had brought this state of lunacy on?

Well, it was a typical day at Domino High and Gym Class had started. The girls were playing soccer while the boys underwent physical tests that included push-ups, sit ups, the 1.5 k run, and more.

Seto was finishing his run and neglected to hear a familiar voice shout, "Hey! Look out!" and therefore received a soccer ball to the jaw and the moments that followed were something of a blur that included bright lights, shouting, and rapid movement.

When he came around, he was in the nurse's office and his cobalt met with that infamous green. He'd been too stunned to look away due to the circumstance of getting hit with that damn ball. He couldn't really remember what she'd said to him that day anymore, but he did see her in a different light than before.

Instead of taunting him or shouting angrily at him, her features were softened and apologetic for injuring him (unintentionally) as she delicately treated the bruise forming on his face with a cool cloth. Funny, he never imagined that hot-tempered blonde could be gentle…though she did have her little sister to look out for and she seemed to be nice enough to most of those friends she clung to.

He did recall her complaining about how she hated sports and that was the first decent kick she'd ever managed to land, and it had resulted in her injuring somebody. But, that was pretty much it. Inwardly, he'd felt somewhat amused by that comment, though he never dared to express that to her.

After that day, he noticed the color green more than he'd ever thought possible. At first, it was fairly subtle, like he would see an employee wearing a particularly vivid green blouse or tie, or he might spot green lettering or imagery on an advertisement. And it all began to spiral downhill from there…

Some days he felt like he'd stepped onto a different planet with a completely different atmosphere and gravity, causing a sense of vertigo that left him shell-shocked. It would occasionally be so bad that he wouldn't even shoot an insult towards Jounouchi, which was simply unheard of!

He knew…he knew that people were beginning to catch on to his seemingly random change in attitude, but nobody in their right mind would be able to guess the cause of it.

And he intended to keep it that way.

The idea of anyone knowing that he, Seto Kaiba, was having annoying, confusing thoughts over some girl he swore up and down to both Heaven AND Hell to resent would be the absolute death of him!

He walked outside into the spring air and caught the scent of freshly cut grass and sighed.

"So it begins again…" he mumbled as he hurriedly ambled to the limo waiting for him in the front of the school, telling Roland to drive him home.

The city whipped by his window and he paid little mind to any of it as he stared at the document file on his laptop screen, hoping the sound of his fingers dancing along the keys would serve as an adequate distraction.

But, as always, it didn't and he found himself obsessing again over the color green…

* * *

**And so ends this little chapter. The minute I get 5 reviews, you will get a MUCH longer update. And I assure you, it will be more gripping than this chapter. Next word? **

_**Insanity**_


	7. Insanity

**I promised the update after 5 reviews, and i try my best to be a woman of my word. **

**Ok, so, pretty much all of the other chapters were related to or similar to my fanfic, Sunshine and Moonshine. I think it's time to actually do a serious AU that doesn't pertain to the Yugioh storyline. This chapter is going to relate to an RP me and my buddy Kim wrote a while ago. This is gonna be fun!**

**Disclaimer: Yugioh and its characters are copyright of Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own this fanfic and my personal OC's. **

* * *

_**~Seven: Insanity~**_

He ground the cigarette on the ash tray and leaned back in the leather seat, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Damn, it'd been too long since he shaved. The stubble was getting a bit out of hand. He'd deal with that later. Right now he thought he might finally have a lead…

The bodies of mobsters were piling up in the grim alleys of Domino City. Each kill shared two things in common;

The victims were always killed with a single bullet. Normally to the head but some to the heart

Nobody ever saw the killer. Or, rather, nobody ever saw the killer and lived

This infamous murderer earned quite a name in Domino, and had a quite a bounty riding on their head in the criminal underworld.

The Devil Shot.

What a name, right? It really is quite simple, almost poetic. The killer could not be seen. If you saw them, they would kill you before you could even take a moment to have your last breath. Most assume the killer was male, but nobody could say for sure.

But what really baffled everyone was the fact that not a single death at the hands of this murderer was a civilian. All victims were connected to the Domino crime lords in some way or another.

He had been the first to pick up on this pattern. A vendetta, more than likely. However, just because this killer was eliminating the crime lords of Domino, he could not condone the acts of a murderer. And who was the say they would stop with the mob?

Rather than take the chance, he hunted for this criminal to bring them to justice.

"Mr. Kaiba? A letter has just arrived for you," his secretary, Anzu, said. He nodded briefly and told her to place it on his desk. She obliged and left the office quietly. Nice girl, but a little bit air-headed at times. He ran a hand through his slightly haphazard brown hair before ripping the envelope open.

Inside was a single letter written in shiny, black cursive.

_Mr. Seto Kaiba,_

_My men and I have reason to believe the Devil Shot is targeting us next. Please, we ask of your protection from this murderer. We will pay handsomely and allow you to do what you see fit with the criminal when they are captured._

_Please meet me at 22:00 at the coffee shop on Eckhart. We await you anxiously._

_Yours,_

_Pegasus J. Crawford_

He wrinkled his nose a bit and lit up another cigarette.

Pegasus. He remembered the man from a town luncheon he'd attended a few months prior. Long silver hair, obnoxious laugh, bright red suit. The man was about as subtle as a nuclear explosion in the center of Chicago. He was the owner of Domino's largest bank, but rumor has it he secretly did dirty dealings with the mob on the side.

Made sense the Devil Shot would want him dead.

Seto eyed his silver watch briefly.

21:26

He had a bit of time.

* * *

Seto walked down the sidewalk, his hands shoved inside of his black coat's pockets. Very few people stayed out at this time of night anymore, save for the drunks, the prostitutes, and the criminals. And the occasional cop, crazy person, or homeless man or woman.

Everyone knew better than the chance a night on the town, lest they wish to become victims in the latest rape/murder/robbery case. Usually it would be some combination of the three.

He entered the shop and the bell rang merrily as he stepped in. The cashier seemed surprised to have a customer so late, but greeted him kindly and offered a menu, to which Seto declined as he sat down.

"I'll just have a small coffee. No cream or sugar."

"Yes, sir." Seto leaned back in the chair and looked back at his watch.

21:55

His coffee was set before him and he sipped the bitter liquid as he waited patiently for Pegasus to show himself. Before long, a figure in a black coat and hat entered the shop and the cashier greeted him.

Seto stood to greet him and as Pegasus opened his mouth to say something, a distant shot rang out and Pegasus froze. He slowly began to fall forward as the door behind him closed and Seto's eyes widened when he saw the bloody bullet hole in his back.

"I-impossible!" he said before running outside and looking around. He barely caught the sight of a shadow on a rooftop and he growled before chasing after it.

"_You're not getting away from me this time, Devil Shot!"_

He raced down the alleys and kept his eyes on the shadow, making sure not to lose it. He was able to speed up a fire escape to the roof of a building and scanned for the shadow.

Seto almost missed the shady figure leap to another roof, but he smirked and chased after it. At last, he managed to corner them at the edge of the building and pulled out his pistol.

"Freeze!" he commanded and the figure turned around. They were about 5'6", and wore black boots, pants, and a coat with a hood raised. There was no face, just a white mask with eye holes and red triangles formed under the eyes and one the forehead. "You are under arrest, Devil Shot."

"Oh my…" The figure chuckled darkly. "This IS a surprise. You actually managed to follow me all the way up here, how impressive." He narrowed his eyes. The voice was somewhat distorted because of the mask but he could tell it wasn't deep enough to be a male. "But…if you did your research, you ought to know that there is no way you can see Devil Shot and live."

"Are you threatening me?" Seto growled and she laughed again.

"Oh no, not at all. If anything, this situation should prove that I have no intention to threaten at all. I would never allow anyone to see me unless I wanted them dead."

"I have no plans to die."

"No. And I have no plans to kill you either."

"Then come with me."

"I'm afraid not. You see, I still have much work to do."

"I won't allow you to kill more people!"

"I'm afraid you really don't have much of a choice, Seto Kaiba." He lowered his gun slightly and furrowed his brows.

"Y-you know-"

"Of course I know who you are! You're the police commissioner's right-hand man, the one who has been hunting me down obsessively. I've been watching you for quite some time. I know everything about you, how every minute of your day is spent."

Seto growled and tightened his grip on his gun and she chuckled.

"You best realize now that I'm a criminal far out of your league. But if you don't believe me, why not put it to the test if you're ballsy enough?"

"That's enough!" he snarled. "Stop talking and come with me, or I'll shoot you down."

"You and I both know that if you try, I won't be the one who ends up dead." The pistol shook slightly and he realized his arms were trembling and he cursed inwardly at allowing himself to be shaken up by mere words. Devil Shot wasn't even armed! So what was he waiting for?

"Devil Shot…you have forced my hand." His finger twitched. "Die!"

The next instant seemed to play in slow motion as the loud bang of the gun seemed to vibrate through the still night air. She moved so fluidly as she seemed to dance out of the path of the bullet and lunge for him without even a moment of hindrance.

He only had enough time to lower the gun slightly before the cold metal of the knife was pressed to his throat and she had his right hand pinned behind his back. The pistol fell uselessly to the floor and he could practically _feel_ her smirking behind the mask.

"It's a shame…someone as handsome as you being so incredibly stupid." He growled.

"What was tha-" She pressed the blade harder and he pressed his lips shut but narrowed his eyes at her.

"Keep pressing your luck and your head will say farewell to the rest of your body."

"What the hell do you want?" he grit out and she chuckled softly.

"I already told you, I still have much work to do. What I want is for you to stay out of my way."

"Why the hell would I agree to do that?"

"I'm not really giving you much of a choice. Either you stop following after me like a lost little puppy or I kill you in order to keep you out of the way. Take your pick." He clenched his fist, feeling his blood pounding in his ears as he desperately tried to think of a way out of this situation.

If he tried moving, she'd slice his head off like a melon. If he attempted to strike, the same results would occur. If he stalled, she might grow bored or impatient and do away with him. The only way out of this alive…was to concede?

His pride certainly got in the way of that option…

"Well?" she asked, breaking him from his thoughts. "What's the answer?"

"If I agree to leave you alone, but I break that promise…?" he asked slowly.

"I kill you where you stand," she said simply. "Think about that, Seto. I know every move you make before you even make it. I have known you've been following me since the case where I gutted two mob bosses in the back of a casino several months ago." His breath caught anxiously. He recalled that case being his inspiration for hunting the Devil Shot down. How could she possibly have known for this long?

"What do I get out of this deal?" he growled. "My life's nothing if I sell it for some killer to run rampant!" She chuckled.

"Oh my, you certainly are impressive, trying to cut deals when you really are in no position. I'm holding all the cards, Seto."

"I don't know about that, I have a pretty decent poker face."

"Alright…I'll cut you a deal, then. I have a lot of respect for a man who lays all his chips down like this. If you back off, I'll let you kill me."

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me. I'm on a bit of mission, and when I've carried out my goals, I'll give you the chance to put an end to me. Think of it as a means of closure for both myself and the city of Domino. And you'll be renowned as a hero! The cop who brought down the notorious Devil Shot in a final shot, I can just picture the headlines."

"You're insane…" he said slowly.

"Am I?" she whispered. "Am I really the one who's insane here?" He felt her pull back and spun to see her standing there, her arms crossed over her chest. "You have one week to decide on your answer. Remember, if you betray me and try to hunt me down again, I'll kill you and your men." She stepped backwards and stood on the edge. "I'll be calling on you again soon." She snickered and fell backwards and he lunged forward to stop her but she was gone.

One week…

* * *

Seto sat at the bar, inhaling his cigarette slowly. He scratched the back of his head slowly and sighed. It'd already been six days and he still had no idea what to do.

"Sir?" He blinked and looked up to see the bartender cocking her head at him curiously. She had fairly long blonde hair with light highlights, large green eyes, and porcelain skin. She wore a black, cropped halter with grey skinny jeans; a standard look for the female bartenders in this specific chain. "Would you care for another tequila?"

"No, thank you. I'm done for the night." He set the money on the counter and stood up. "Keep the change."

"Thank you, have a good night." She bowed and he nodded, walking outside as he lipped the cigarette.

Drowning his confusion in alcohol and tobacco certainly didn't accomplish much, but it was better than slowly sinking into a deeper state of insanity. (Lung and liver cancer!)

He continued walking down the streets, inhaling the smoke and exhaling it through his nose slowly, leaving a trail of ash in his wake. The alcohol in his system left him feeling warm, despite the nippy air and the smoke in the air created abstract patterns.

"Looks like little pretty boy got himself lost." Seto paused and could sense the presence of three people behind him and merely puffed on his cigarette again.

"I'm not looking for any trouble," he rasped slowly.

"Oh? Well that's too bad, man."

"'Cause we _**want**_ trouble." Seto turned slowly and dropped the cigarette onto the ground, grinding it with his foot.

"Kids these days," he sighed, reaching into his coat. "You ought to learn better than to threaten a cop."

"Oh, a cop? Well that changes everything!" one boy gasped sarcastically while his friends snickered.

"Cop or not, you're not immune to use beating you til you pass out and robbing you blind." Seto grunted as two of them held him down before he could reach for his gun and dragged him into a nearby alley. The other picked up a metal bat that was leaned against the brick wall and lightly tapped it against his palm.

"So…cop…let's see how long you last through this. I give you maybe a minute, tops." Seto winced slightly as he brought the bat up and the sound of a gunshot rang in the air. He opened his eyes slowly to see the boy frozen, his eyes widened in shock. It was then that he realized a bloody bullet hole now rested in the center of his forehead and he collapsed to the ground.

"H-hey, Kyo-kun?" one of the boys asked.

"Snap out of it, man!" Seto took this opportunity and elbow himself free from the two punks and grabbed his pistol, aiming it at the two.

"I advise you give yourselves up now, unless you want to end up in the same state as…" he kicked the body's arm, "Kyo over here." The two boys sank to their knees slowly, placing their hands above their heads. It wasn't long before the patrol unit pulled up and took the two away while the body was sent away for inspection.

"Tch, they're starting that young nowadays, huh?" Seto turned to see a familiar figure clad in black leaned against the alley wall.

"So it was you."

"Who else?" she asked, the masked face turning to look at him.

"Why did you kill him?"

"Because he was threatening an innocent civilian. Or, rather, innocent civilians. That blundering buffoon has injured over thirty people and killed five because of the damage to their brain and one due to an accidental swing to the neck. I'd been planning on killing him anyway, you just happened to be there."

"And here was me thinking you liked me," Seto said sarcastically and she snickered.

"Sounds more like wishful thinking to me."

"I hardly like a coward who hides behind a mask."

"I doubt you'd like the face behind it any more than the mask."

"Tch."

"Have you thought about my offer?" she asked.

"…yes."

"Do you have your answer for me?"

"Heh, I'm not wild at the idea of staging something like this with one of the city's most-wanted criminals."

"I didn't expect you to be. This is a test of your intelligence, not of your moral code or sense of ethics. I realize doing something like this goes against every sense of right-and-wrong you cops have in your little book. But answer me this, is one cop in this entire, rotten city really so just he'd rather die than defile his honest standards? Is there anyone so pure in the law that hangs so heavily on his beliefs?"

Seto frowned and he could just sense that smirk forming behind the mask.

"I didn't think so. You would rather have recognition for noble actions, even if they're slightly falsified, than to die before truly accomplishing anything. This has nothing to do with this city, the mob, or even me. It's entirely about you." Seto clenched his fists and before he could think, he moved to land a punch across the mask and she fell to the ground.

He stood there, panting a bit as the fury continued to bubble inside and she started laughing.

"Oh my…that's the first time you even acted in way I didn't expect. I am impressed," she said, standing up slowly, the mask cracking where his fist made contact and she touched it tenderly, the way you might touch a fresh bruise. "This'll need replacement now," she sighed.

"Go to hell!" Seto snarled. "You disgust me! Everything about you is vile and wretched and I just want you to die!"

"If you want to kill me so badly, then take me up on my offer," she stated simply. Seto paused and frowned. "If you don't, I'll kill you and continue doing exactly what I'm doing, and there will be nobody there to stop me. I won't die at the hands of any other cop, so think about that."

"Why me?" he finally asked. She brought her hand up to her chin and took a thoughtful stance.

"I don't know," she said finally.

"Don't act coy. There is a reason and you know it!" he snarled.

"Very well…if you care to know the reason, it's because I see myself in you."

"I am nothing like you!"

"No? You lost your family to criminals when you were 17 and therefore joined the law enforcement to ease your shattered psyche. You were lucky you didn't have to experience that grief at a younger age. I, on the other hand, lost my mother to a mobster all because of a grudge he held against my father, and I became entangled in this life as a direct result."

"Do not blame the actions of others for your misdeeds! You had a choice, and this was the one you made!"

"I had no choice in any of this!" she growled. "I was bred to become the ultimate killing machine. I was raised, steeped in blood. I bathed in it, I absorbed it, and it's become a part of who I am. I was engulfed in the madness without escape, and I knew I had to gain a sick enjoyment out of it or lose my grip on reality entirely. If I didn't, I don't even want to imagine how much more blood I'd have on my hands. You'd be dead right now too, I'm sure." Seto paused, her words sinking in deep into his heart.

It made him wonder…had his circumstances been slightly different…would he be the same as her? Would he be the one killing while she hunted him down?

All this time he'd been so certain of who he was and what he stood for…but with a few words, she had thrown his mind into a state of chaos and ambiguity.

"What does any of this mean?" he asked slowly and she cocked her head to the side.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing we do seems to mean a damn thing. Because even if one person does manage to change the world, so-to-speak, it hardly matters because someone else will change it again sometime later, and so the cycle continues."

"Then why do this if it doesn't matter?"

"Because if we don't, then we feel insignificant, and humanity struggles to make its mark in a blind frenzy. We are no different than children…irrational, delusional. It's really pathetic, honestly. Humans claim to be the ultimate species of intelligence, innovation, and morality, but we are nothing more than helpless animals striving to survive while somehow feeling that we have value, when we are honestly worthless."

She chuckled and slowly paced around him.

"We are the biggest series of hypocrites too. For example, take the concept of freedom. What exactly is that? Exemption from external control…the power to determine action without restraint; those are the definitions of freedom. And yet we claim to have freedom when we are held by the leashes of government and social contracts we instill? We chose these shackles and cry out about our rights and liberties when it is all a lie. Freedom is nothing but a lie…and those who experience true freedom are either killed or locked up because a nation that preaches about freedom and liberty tries to contain it."

"What you're talking about it madness!"

"Is it? Then is freedom madness? Humanity's true state is anarchy…anyone with a rational mind can comprehend this. We chose to stray from that, we chose to instill artificial order to try and keep people in line. But in the end we're all prisoners." Seto growled a bit and she chuckled. "Did I hit a nerve?"

"Try several."

"But you know I'm not lying."

"I know you're insane."

"I am merely philosophical. I suppose it's sort of the same thing, though, because I'm not afraid to think outside of the normal perspective."

"…I'll take you up on your deal on one condition."

"Oh?"

"Show me your face."

"That's all you want?"

"I won't hunt you down, I will kill you when you give me the word…but I want to know who you really are."

"Well, I suppose I can oblige. I'm more than capable of finding a secret passage if you betray me." She stepped closer to him and placed her hand on her mask and removed it slowly.

Seto's eyes widened as her found himself staring into a familiar pair of green eyes.

"You…"

"Indeed. That's part of how I first noticed you, through one of my aliases. You drank enough and slipped up a little the night after I murdered Takizawa and Yoshinori in that casino. You and every other cop were feeling the strain, and I happened to choose the right place, the right time, and the right cop."

"All this time…you were right there. I could have stopped you!"

"Don't flatter yourself so extensively, Seto. I never would have allowed that. You're just a pawn in my game, and I know all the rules. Every edge you think you've had, those were all scapegoats I executed. I have planned every single move we've made up until this moment, and I have planned for every moment after."

"You bitch!" he growled, running at her. "I'll kill you!" She smirked and he could hear the sound of the gun before he jumped awake in his bed, gasping.

The room was dark save for the bit of moonlight creeping in through the window and he was sweating slightly.

"The hell…?"

"Seto?" He gasped and looked to see her next to him, her eyes peering up at him sleepily. "What happened?"

"_That's right…"_

He fell back down into the sheets and felt her next to him, his hand on her bare shoulder as he stared at the ceiling.

"Nothing…just a bad memory." He had the scar to prove it.

His accusations, his hatred, all had been redirected in the last few months…towards himself. She's succeeded in completely shattering him, leaving him completely defenseless. But even though he knew this, he continued to welcome her to the dark confines of his room at night. Not as his lover…but something else he couldn't name.

She was like a parasite that latched on and fed off him, killing him slowly and painfully, but addicting him to the treatment and making it impossible to get rid of her. When had the line become so blurred? When had he lost all sight of himself?

He decided…it was probably the moment she removed that mask when the tables had turned.

* * *

**Well, that one was a lot of fun. I must say, I love getting to express some of my craziness and dark psychology. For those who don't know, I love comic book villains because they have the most fascinating psychology, and this form of Kay was used on an RP and she was based a little bit off the Joker.**

**I've also been mad for Tom Hiddleston as Loki in the Avengers because he has fascinating psychology as well, which is where part of her speech was derived from. For the record, the definition of freedom in this chapter really did come from dictionary dot com. Just want to give credit when due!**

**I REALLY want at least 6 reviews for this chapter if possible because I tried very hard to make it cool and suspenseful. So anyone, if you have a moment, please spare me a review. No flames please, but constructive criticism is welcome, and compliments are loved and appreciated. **

**Next word?**

_**Innocence**_


	8. Innocence

**Thank you kindly to all the lovely reviews for the last chapter! I hope this chapter will receive as many nice remarks that the last chapter received. Si I hope you all enjoy even more Ryuuzashipping! **

**Disclaimer: Yugioh and its characters are copyright of Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own this fanfic and my personal OC's. **

* * *

_**~Eight: Innocence~**_

She should have known…

That wretched hussy with her red, pouting lips and her stylized, ebony hair…those manicured cuticles and designer suit fitted one size too small.

But it takes two…

"DAMN IT!" Her fist made contact with the punching bag as she continued to mercilessly beat the hell out of the leather, sand-filled sack with all of her might. Her body was soaked in a layer of sweat and her hair was falling free from the rubber band but she didn't care.

The ache in her heart was enough to keep her going, despite the protests of exhaustion that came from most of her muscles.

All those years…it started in high school when they first met and it was initially anything but smooth sailing. For the first year, their relationship had consisted of nothing but endless arguing and even a few tussles when she was pissed off enough.

But after some time, it began to change when they stopped yelling long enough to actually talk and get to know each other. Sure they still fought, but they also found common interests and a confidant in each other as they got to be closer.

Before long, they had shared their first kiss and it was the first time she felt that infamous fluttering in her stomach.

He wasn't the most confident when it came to relationships, but he did put forth effort, which she appreciated. And they'd continued their relationship for the past four and a half years fairly successfully.

That is, to say, until recently when Seto decided he needed to hire himself a new secretary and somehow decided it was a smart plan to select a Miss Minako Kageyama. The moment Kay laid eyes on her, a sick feeling formed in the pit of her stomach.

Seto assured her she was the most qualified applicant for the job after she expressed concerns, and she decided to trust in him. But it didn't take long to note he was staying late in the office more often than usual and that damn woman was dressing skimpier and skimpier with each day that passed at Kaiba Corp.

After two months of anxious nights, she finally decided to seek out her own answers and paid a visit to Kaiba Corp. after closing hours, convincing Roland to give her the key.

In the office, she found Seto pinned to his own desk by the disgusting slut, her shirt unbuttoned and skirt hiked up, and sucking his teeth out of his mouth (or that's what it looked like).

The one satisfying thing that came from that night was that beautiful punch delivered to that bitch's nose. She'd gotten enough work done on it, there didn't seem to be any bone left, but it did bleed and her screaming was enough to make her happy.

She gave a loud, angry cry with a punch and sank to her knees, panting tiredly, her eyes burning from sweat and tears.

"Damn him!" she sobbed, covering her face with her hand, her shoulders shaking. After taking a moment to recompose herself, she collected her bag and walked out of the gym, wiping her face with a towel.

A taxi waited for her outside and she told him the directions of the hotel she was temporarily living at until she could decide on some other living arrangements.

Cat and Atem had offered to let her stay with them, but Kay knew they were expecting their baby girl to arrive soon and the only room they had was the baby's nursery, so she didn't want to risk taking up that needed space.

Kristen and Yugi were travelling to appear at conventions and tournaments, so she didn't bother with asking them.

And Kay was still too wary of Bakura to try asking Kim if she could temporarily stay with them. She'd considered moving to Florida, except she'd moved her office to Domino and it would be too costly to try moving it back. And the apartments in Domino were too far from her office or in unsavory areas of the city. The original penthouse she'd lived in was already sold to someone else, so she was out of luck there.

She paid the taxi driver and walked into the lobby, nodding briefly to the woman who greeted her cheerfully and took the elevator up to her floor. She extracted the key card from her bag and slid it into the handle before entering the suite.

The first thing she noticed was a small package on the floor and she furrowed her brows and picked it up, observing it curiously.

Deciding to handle it later, she tossed it on her bed and went to go and take a shower. After she finished and dried off, she opened the package and found a DVD inside along with a note in regards to some products Industrial Illusions was working on.

"Oh yeah, this must be that video in regards to the designs that I was waiting on." She pulled out her laptop and put the DVD inside, loading it onto a media player playlist.

The video loaded and it looked like a security tape's footage. Kay furrowed her brows and noticed it was set for Kaiba Corp's office. She almost shut the laptop when she saw Seto and Minako walk into the office. Unfortunately, the video didn't have any sound, so she had no idea what they were saying.

Seto sat down at his desk and handed Minako some type of paperwork, his expression serious. Minako seemed upset over something and he was shaking his head and saying something else.

Then she crawled onto his desk and started undoing her shirt and Seto stood up and seemed to be yelling at her. And then…she actually pulled him onto his desk and started…

"Oh my god!" Kay shut the laptop and bit her lip anxiously. He didn't do it… It was all her, and she had assumed the worst in him.

Then again…he hadn't given her any reason not to assume. She'd brought it up and he'd ridiculed her instead of properly reassuring her…

Still…she should have at least heard him out instead of forcing him to chase her down to deliver this footage to her. And even though he'd done that, maybe he wouldn't readily accept her back if she came to his doorstep.

"Tch..so I'm still so indecisive…" she mumbled to herself irritably before setting her laptop on the floor and curling up under the sheets. It was near midnight at this point, so she figured bothering him wasn't the smartest idea.

"_I'll deal with this tomorrow…"_

* * *

She tossed and turned in her dreamless sleep and finally her eyes cracked open, only to see a dark figure looming over her.

Her eyes flew open and she screamed and automatically brought her fist up at the figure and heard a loud yelp of pain and the sound of a person stumbling back and crashing into the wall. She gasped and sat up, looking over at the dark shadow, squinting.

"S-Seto?" she said, leaning over to turn on the lamp next to her bed. Sure enough, lying sprawled against the wall and rubbing his chin was Seto Kaiba. "What the hell are you doing in here? It's 3 in the morning!"

"I could ask you the same thing," he grumbled. "I was expecting to hear from you after dropping off that DVD with the security footage earlier." She blushed and cast her gaze to the side, playing with the edge of the sheet.

"What was I supposed to say? 'I'm sorry for not believing in you and kneeing you in the stomach' somehow didn't seem like it would be sufficient."

"Damn it, Kay!" he growled. "It pisses me off when you pull these kinds of stunts and keep throwing nothing but excuses at me!"

"Well, sorry!" she snapped. "But you didn't exactly help the case by always being gone until the wee hours in the morning and not listening to me about that slut!"

"If you had just listened instead of running away, we wouldn't be having this conversation!"

"If you had used your head instead of assuming everything would be just fine and dandy, I wouldn't have run away!" They paused and glared at each other and she tightened her fists, frowning. "You don't seem to realize that, no matter how many times you say you care and you love me…I'm still terrified of losing you to someone else."

"Tch, you really are stupid sometimes." She opened her mouth to shout some haughty, snarky retort, but his lips covered hers before she could and when he pulled back, her mind had gone a bit hazy and she could not even hope to remember what it was. "I'm going to tell you this once, so pay attention." He pressed his finger to her forehead. "You…are the only one I want. No matter what anyone says or does, nothing will change that. You are stuck with me, and that is that." He crossed his arms. "Honestly, instead of being so insecure, you should be priding yourself on the fact that I feel this way about you."

She narrowed her eyes a bit and pushed him down onto the end of the bed, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You're really bad at not ticking me off!" she pointed out.

"What?" he asked, frowning and she leaned over and pressed her mouth to his, burying one hand in his chocolate brown hair. When she pulled back, it was his turn to be slightly dazed and she snickered.

"Let's see that secretary of yours do THAT," she said smugly and he sat up.

"Tch, ex-secretary. You really think I'd keep her on after that little stunt she pulled?" he asked.

"Maybe you do use your brain sometimes."

"Sometimes?" he asked, leaning closer to her.

"Sometimes," she said, smirking and he gripped her chin, tilting her head up.

"You really are infuriating."

"And you really don't know a damn thing about women."

"Then why don't you teach me a thing or two since you're the expert," he said, quirking a brow slightly with a slightly wicked smirk forming on his lips.

"Tch, I don't know. You are a slow learner."

"Ouch, that one hurt," he said, sarcasm lacing his voice and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Yeah, yeah, lesson number one." She pulled him forward and kissed him.

* * *

**So ends this chapter. I didn't feel like actually saying the word in this chapter, but I think you all can see how it applied. I have been interested in the idea of Seto cheating on Kay and how they would get past it.**

**Making out cures all the world's problems…or, rather, sometimes it does. Other times is CAUSES a large amount of the world's problems.**

**Anyway, please review. I'd like at least 5 before updating again. **

**Next word?**

_**Drive**_


	9. Drive

**Hey guys, sorry it's taken so long for me to update. I had to get my laptop fixed (yeah, 6 months old and it already had to be taken in to be fixed. Friggin A…) and I hadn't been able to work on updates. But here it is, I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: Yugioh and its characters are copyright of Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own this fanfic and my personal OC's. **

* * *

_**~Nine: Drive~**_

"This is ridiculous."

"Oh come on, it'll be fun!"

"I have work to do."

"You used that excuse last week! Come on, Seto, you owe me!"

"Tch. And you couldn't pick something else?"

"What's so weird about this?"

"It's just so completely random."

"Plenty of couples do this!"

"Don't say that."

"What? That we're a couple? Don't tell me you're embarrassed!"

"I'm just not used to it yet."

"Really, Seto? It's been almost a year and you're still not used to it?"

"Aren't you the one who referred to me as a 'romantically incept prude?'"

"And you're actually admitting to that being true?"

"Well I wouldn't word it like that…"

"Come on already!" She grabbed his wrist and pulled him up from the chair, yanking him through the office. "Everyone can go home early today!" Kay announced as she passed the reception area and the Kaiba Corp. employees knew better than to question her.

Most of them just sort of grinned at the sight of their boss being dragged away by his hyperactive, blonde girlfriend and went to begin closing up for the night.

"Must you constantly humiliate me?" Seto grumbled.

"I'm your girlfriend, it's my job," she said simply with a smirk and he glared at her. They finally got outside where a lovely, black and red convertible waited for them and Kay jumped into the driver's seat. "Isn't she a beauty?"

"How much of my money did you spend on this?" Seto sighed, sliding in, to which she pouted.

"For your information, every dime was my hard-earned cash. I told you I'd wanted to buy a car for a while now."

"But why something like this?"

"Why not? It's a Mercedes with a damn good warranty."

"So why are you dragging me along on this test drive?"

"You need to get out more, Seto."

"You keep saying that," he sighed. She smiled a little.

"Just sit back and enjoy the ride," she said, turning the key in the ignition and putting the car in drive. Seto gave her a sideways glance but leaned back in his seat as Kay pulled out of her parking space and drove down the road.

"So where are we going?" he asked. She chuckled.

"You ask way too many questions."

"You don't give me many answers."

"Come on, Seto, you should be able to trust me by now."

"Perhaps if you weren't so erratic, I'd trust you more. But you keep pulling off these crazy schemes." She pouted.

"That hurts, Seto."

"Yeah, yeah." She continued driving down the road and approached the exit that lead to the highway out of the city. "A drive in the country? How cliché."

"You and I both know it isn't country."

"No city, just open field for at least a good few miles."

"It's forest, Seto. Country is wide open space. I'll take you to Texas someday to see real country fields."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"God, Seto, are you always this boring?" He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest as they continued driving. "Come on, lighten up."

"Sorry, but I'm not normally one to lighten up if there's no reason for me to." She frowned.

"So spending time with me isn't a good reason?" she asked. "Gee, I feel all warm and fuzzy inside." Seto ran a hand through his bangs.

"You know that isn't what I meant."

"Seto, I know you aren't exactly lovey-dovey, but if I give you any more space, I may as well dump you. While I'm all for space and distance helping couples grow, I do want at least a little time with you. It's not like I want to be glued to your hip or anything stupid like that, we're not little pre-teens experimenting with relationships." She sighed and shrugged. "You're the only one I've ever felt this way about, and I'd appreciate it if you could try your best to show you feel the same way just a little more. If anything else, I should be able to refer to us as a couple without you getting uncomfortable."

"That's exactly why it's uncomfortable…" he mumbled. "I've never bothered with relationships before this point. You were the only person persistent enough to make me want to try it."

"I don't believe I was really persistent, your fangirls have proven to have exceeded me in that category."

"Alright, fine, you were the only person who didn't completely piss me off all the time and who actually put up with me as I am and not thrusting me on some pedestal with this imaginary version that you dreamt of." She pursed her lips.

"Well…I do love you for all your cracks and flaws. You're kind of cute because you're so socially awkward."

"I am not socially awkward!"

"Maybe not in a business sense, but remember that time I sent you to the grocery store to buy me ingredients for dinner and you got in the fight with the butcher over the meat cuts?"

"He was asking for it…" Seto mumbled.

"And the time when you were asked by that one couple about directions and you immediately hid and had Roland take care of it?" she asked, giggling to which Seto turned a pale pink.

"Be quiet…"

"Not many people see you like that," she said with a soft smile. "But when I do, it always makes my heart flip because it just makes me adore you that much more. I love the confidence you exude and your intelligence, but I also love the parts of you that are awkward and clumsy. You're not perfect, you never were and you never will be."

"Neither are you," he pointed out.

"No," she laughed. "I'm definitely not perfect. I get pissed at you for little things, get jealous, and I ask for too much of you sometimes."

"Not to mention you are the most hard-headed person out there! Once your mind's made up, there's no changing it," he said, smirking. "Even if you're wrong, you refuse to concede."

"Oh come on, that's not true!" she pouted. "I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong."

"Really? Then how about the time you argued with me for over an hour on the effect of a card that we looked up? I told you what the effect was, the computer did, and you still argued!"

"Hey, you looked up the new version, I argued for the original!"

"And there you go again," he said, smirking.

"Well you are no better! When it comes to your ego, nobody can sway you from whatever you think is right. You're ALWAYS Mr. Right."

"That's because I usually am right." She lightly punched his arm, sticking her tongue out.

"Egotistical, immovable asshole."

"Stubborn, bipolar bitch," he snorted. She laughed a little.

"Love you too." They drove out of the woods to the next city's limit and stopped at a red light. Seto leaned over and pressed his lips to her cheek.

"I'll work on it," he said and she laced her fingers with his.

"Good," she said and he kissed the back of her hand, earning another smile before they drove through the green light.

Hopefully, the next time she invited him out for a drive, he'd be a little more excited to go out and just step out of his normal routine. But who really knew with Seto Kaiba?

* * *

**Eh, it's sorta cheesy, but it was fun to write. I kinda disliked making Kay act like a needy girlfriend, but, in all truth, it'd be strange for her to never get like that, especially with Seto. She and him are supposed to try and bring out the best and worst in each other and help each other break out of their shells.**

**Or maybe I'm overthinking all this and none of you care. Regardless, I'm tired as hell.**

**Please keep feeding me your glorious reviews, and I shall try to retaliate with update!**

**Next word?**

_**Breathe**_


	10. Breathe

**Holy cow! We've actually hit 10 chapters! (-Cheers and applause-) I know, I know, this is exciting! So, because this is a special chapter, I'm gonna try to make it really special! How? Well…I don't want to give anything away…but something tells me you all might just hate my guts for it.**

**But, I'm going for it!**

**Disclaimer: Yugioh and its characters are copyright of Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own this fanfic and my personal OC's. **

* * *

_**~Ten: Breathe~**_

All she could see around her was glittering, golden sand and feel the sun's intense heat on her head. She brought a hand up to her forehead, wiping off a bit of sweat on her brow. Her cream-colored dress flowed around her legs in the warm, desert wind and her hair fell down her back in a long braid.

"Khephera!" A familiar voice called. She turned around and saw Seth riding a gray horse toward her and she smiled at him.

"Good morning, my pharaoh." He jumped down from his horse and walked up to her, a serious look on his face.

"What are you doing out here alone?" he asked.

"I just wanted to go out for a walk. It gets boring being cooped up in the palace every day."

"Alone? And in the desert? My love, that is not very wise. Even if Bakura is gone, there are plenty of thieves and bandits who wander the deserts, searching for prey."

"I know, Seth, but I wanted to walk somewhere besides the palace. And…"

"And?"

"I wanted to go to the temple and pray for Kisara." Seth's face softened a bit and he leaned over, pressing his lips to the top of her head softly.

"Come, we should return to the palace, the rest of the court is expecting us. We can visit the temple together another day." She nodded slowly.

"Alright." He climbed onto the horse and he offered his hand to her. She reached for him and he pulled her onto the horse behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rode back toward the palace together.

"_Kay?"_

She opened her eyes slowly and saw Adelinda looking down at her.

"Addy?" she yawned, sitting up. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah, I just couldn't fall asleep. Can I stay here with you tonight?"

"Sure." Adelinda crawled into bed next to Kay and see covered them both up.

"Were you having a good dream?" she asked.

"Why do you ask?" Adelinda shrugged a bit.

"You were smiling while you were asleep." Kay looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, feeling Adelinda's eyes watching her expectantly.

"Yeah, I guess it was a good dream," she said after a while. "Now get some sleep, Addy." She nodded and closed her eyes and Kay did the same until she fell asleep.

* * *

"You keep having dreams about yourself as Khephera?"

"Yes." Isis stirred her tea delicately and took a quiet sip, before pursing her lips thoughtfully.

"That is very strange. The pharaoh has moved into the next life, so there should be nothing that continually binds you to the memories of your past life."

"Well…should I be concerned?"

"I am not sure…do any of these dreams seem to give you some type of premonition of the future? Something negative?" Kay shook her head.

"No, not at all. The dreams have all been light-hearted. Most of them seem to take place after Kisara's death, and that's the only sadness in the dreams. But, aside from that, they involve her and Seth normally, living their lives after Bakura is defeated."

"Perhaps it is a sign in regards to you and Kaiba?" Kay blushed slightly and shook her head, chuckling weakly.

"I seriously doubt it. Seto is far too busy with work…a-and it's not like I like him that way!" she added hurriedly, her face reddening more and Isis chuckling at her.

"Well, just call me and let me know if you get a bad feeling from these dreams."

"Alright. Thank you, Isis."

"No problem." They finished their drinks and walked out of the café, bidding each other good bye. Kay walked down the sidewalk, locking her hands behind her head with a quiet sigh. These dreams still gave her a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had only been able to connect to memories of her past life when it related to something that was happening around her to connect to Ancient Egypt.

These dreams about Khephera and Seth just didn't make any sense in relation to her everyday life, so why did she keep having them? Seto was travelling on business and barely spoke to her save for when Mokuba called her and Adelinda, and he really had no reason to speak to her much anyway.

After the pharaoh had left to the afterlife, everyone simply continued living on as they normally would. She and Seto had never really been in any sort of close relationship, they were acquaintances at best. Despite the fact that almost everyone insisted they should get together, they had never bothered talking about it or trying to pursue any sort of romantic relationship. Seto never really shows an interest, so Kay didn't bother bringing it up to him.

She entered her apartment and saw Adelinda sitting on the couch with her laptop.

"Kay! Mokuba is on the webcam, did you want to talk to him?"

"Sure." Adelinda scooted over and Kay plopped onto the couch, leaning over to look at the laptop screen.

"Hey Kay!" Mokuba greeted.

"Hi Mokie, how have you been?"

"Pretty good. Adelinda and I were waiting for you to get back so I could tell you both the good news."

"What good news?"

"Seto and I are flying back to Domino next week!" Adelinda gasped and clapped her hands together excitedly.

"Really?"

"Really!"

"Mokuba, that's wonderful!" she squealed and Kay beamed, nodding.

"Absolutely! We can't wait to see you guys."

"Same here, let's all get together for lunch or something."

"Definitely!"

"Well, I'd better go. I'll talk to you two later."

"Ok, bye Mokuba."

"Bye Mokie!" He smiled and the webcam went black and Adelinda sighed happily. "Mokuba and Mr. Kaiba are finally coming home! I can't wait to see them both again, it's been so long."

"It's only been two months, Addy."

"But it feels like an eternity!" she sighed dramatically and Kay chuckled, ruffling her hair.

"What do you want for dinner tonight, Addy?"

"I'm up for anything, really."

"Alright, I'll whip something up, then." She went to the kitchen and began digging through the fridge and Adelinda sat at the table, watching her.

"Kay? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Are you in love with Mr. Kaiba?" Kay nearly dropped the vegetables she was holding a flushed a bit.

"W-what brought that up all of a sudden?" she asked, her face heating up rapidly as she looked away from Adelinda to drop the food into the sink.

"Well…the other night I heard you talking in your sleep and you kept saying his name." Adelinda looked thoughtful. "And you try to hide it, but I notice you brighten whenever you talk to him on the webcam."

"T-that doesn't mean I'm in love with him!" Kay protested.

"Really? Even though you two get along so well?"

"We always fight with each other! And he is so arrogant and obnoxious, some days I can't even stand hi-why are we even having this conversation?"

"You know, the more you deny it, the more I think you love him."

"Oh hush, Adelinda…" Kay grumbled. "Or I'll show Mokuba that video of you taking a bath when you were 5." Adelinda blushed at the notion of showing that humiliating video and shook her head furiously.

"Please don't!"

"Then drop that topic," Kay said simply to which Adelinda pouted.

"Oh, fine!"

"Good girl." She smirked and washed the vegetables in the sink and began chopping them up. Though inwardly she was quite happy about Seto coming home, she still wasn't sure what to make of her feelings for him. Did she love him or did she just admire him? There was quite a difference, after all.

Admiration could be anything, from admiration of work ethic, success, appearance, etc.

Love was wanting to live for another, to give them your heart and devotion and make them a huge part of your life.

She had no idea what it was she really felt toward him after all this time… Some days she thought she might really like him, and other days she just wanted to drop kick him in the…well, I'm sure you can guess where. And he not being around her much didn't really give her a chance to decide if she wanted to try and form some kind of relationship with him.

Honestly, it just seemed easier to not think about it and ignore whatever confusing "feelings" she thought she might have.

* * *

"Today's the day!"

"Calm down, Adelinda, you're about to bounce out of that chair."

"I'm sorry, I can't help it! I'm just so excited!" Kay sighed.

"That's it, no more caffeine for you…" The two girls were waiting at the airport for Seto and Mokuba, Adelinda clearly the most excited out of the two. Her hair was up in a high ponytail and she wore a denim jacket and skirt and striped T-shirt that bore a rhinestone butterfly on the front and white sandals.

Kay wore a cropped red jacket with a black tank top that had a fierce, white dragon embroidered on the front and some dark skinny jeans with a pair of red converse. Her hair was in a messy bun on the left side of her head.

"There's the jet!" Adelinda squealed.

"I'm just surprised Seto wanted to land his private jet at an actual airport instead of Kaiba Corp.," Kay mused as Adelinda jumped up, racing for the terminal gate. There was a good amount of press there to greet the Kaibas, so Kay could only assume they had chosen to land here in order to achieve some publicity.

"_That's Seto for you…" _she thought to herself with a wry smile. Roland was the first one to exit the terminal with the carry-on luggage and Mokuba followed behind, causing Adelinda to run at him full speed.

"Mokuba!" He barely managed to catch her for the hug without falling to the ground and Kay saw multiple photographers get a photo of the two. "I've missed you, Mokuba!"

"I missed you too, Adelinda," he said with a smile. Seto walked out last and the press nearly jumped to eat him alive.

"And that's my cue," Kay sighed, fighting her way through to get to Adelinda and Mokuba. "Great location, Seto," she called over the sound of the mob, holding onto Mokuba and Adelinda.

Seto shrugged and urged Roland and Mokuba to follow him. They went through the crowd of reporters, Seto making an occasional comment to them until security finally decided it was time to step in and hold them back so they could leave.

"Don't be surprised if a picture of the two of you leaks out onto the internet or something," Kay said when they were away from the madness. "I can only imagine it… 'Young love between the youngest Kaiba brother and young niece to Pegasus J. Crawford. Will this innocent romance be corrupted by rivaling companies?'" she sighed dramatically, earning a blush from the two kids.

"Cut it out, Kay!"

"Consider that one payback, Adelinda."

"No fair!"

"All's fair in love and war." Adelinda puffed her cheeks a bit in a pout and Kay smirked.

"So did you two want to get lunch?" Mokuba asked, his face still a pinkish hue.

"I have a meeting," Seto said simply. Adelinda looked up at Seto sadly.

"But we were hoping to spend time with both of you when you guys go back!" she said, gripping the end of Seto's coat and blinking up at him with her puppy dog eyes, to which Seto was immune.

"I'm sorry, Adelinda, but it's very important."

"Sheesh, Seto, talk about a heart of stone." Kay locked her hands behind her head. "If you ask me, I'll bet this man couldn't stop working for three hours to spend some quality time with his brother and his girlfriend." She paused. "…his brother's girlfriend, not Seto's girlfriend. We all know this man is a socially awkward prude." Mokuba and Adelinda flushed and Seto glared.

"I beg your pardon?"

"What? I'm just being honest, here. You have hundreds of thousands of women practically flinging their bodies on you, and yet you can't manage to find one to date? Even temporarily? And don't bother with the 'I'm busy with work excuse' because that only strengthens my point in saying that you're a socially awkward prude." Seto narrowed his eyes a bit.

"Big talk coming from you."

"And what does that mean?"

"I don't see you running around with some boy toy."

"Did I just hear you say 'boy toy?'" Kay asked, her eyes glittering in amusement.

"Yes you did, now stop changing the subject."

"I'm not. And I am not dating a boy because nobody I like is interested, that's just how life goes. But at least I've actually kissed someone, unlike you."

"Um…guys?" Mokuba said.

"And how would you know whether or not I've done anything like that?" Seto growled.

"Hey you two…you're making a little bit of a scene…" Adelinda whispered, looking around at a few people who were glancing over curiously.

"Simple." She ticked the things off on her fingers. "Socially. Awkward. Prude."

"Tch, I'm sure you're just waiting for me to challenge you to some immature contest, like seeing how many people we can each date in one week."

"You said it, not me."

"But I won't be baited into something so stupid. I'm not like that moron, Jounouchi."

"Hey, at least Jounouchi can man up. He and Mai are still happily dating, I must point out, and I think he's slowly but surely getting smarter," Kay said, smirking a bit. Seto rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, that'll be the day."

"Just quit denying that, when it comes to dating, you are about at clueless as Weeble Underpants."

"Who?"

"Exactly."

"Ok, guys, let's just get out of here," Mokuba said, shoving Seto.

"Oh no, this isn't over."

"Seto," he whined.

"Sir, the limo is prepared for you," Roland interrupted and Mokuba made a silent note to find a way to thank him sincerely for that. Seto frowned a bit but nodded and they walked outside to the limo, which was already loaded with the rest of their luggage. Mokuba and Adelinda slid in first, leaving Kay and Seto glaring at each other.

"After you," she said.

"No, I insist."

"Dicks before chicks." A vein throbbed on Seto's forehead.

"Mature. I'd say 'ladies first' but I suppose there aren't any here."

"That's because I have more balls than you."

"Are you two coming in?" Adelinda called and they glared again before sliding into the limo.

"Seriously, guys, we just got back and you're at each other's throats already? Can't you just hug and make up already?" Mokuba sighed. "It's been two months, please be peaceful for a few days before starting fights…"

"I agree with Mokuba! You guys are setting terrible examples for us."

"Clearly not if you are able to be mature and point out that you find our behavior childish," Kay chuckled. "I've taught you well, Addy." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, fine." She looked at Seto. "I'm sorry for calling you a socially awkward prude, and for calling you the d-word." She looked at Adelinda and Mokuba. "Do I get a cookie now?"

"And you complained about me having caffeine," Adelinda tsked.

"But I like messing with Seto," Kay pouted. "He's so stoic, it's fun pushing his buttons!"

"That's not a valid reason to be doing that, Kay…" Mokuba sighed.

"Seto, why are these two acting like adults? I'm getting a bit scared…"

"Don't ask me," Seto said with a slight shrug.

"But, seriously, if you can't do lunch, will you at least go out with us for dinner?" Kay asked.

"…you won't let me say no, will you?"

"Do you want me to fight with you using my fists instead of words?" she asked.

"Alright, fine. We'll do dinner tonight."

"Great!" Seto rolled his eyes and Mokuba sweatdropped a bit.

"You two can be so weird…" he said.

"Well I suppose that's a good thing, since normal is boring." Adelinda laughed a little.

"She's got you there."

"So what time should we meet up tonight?" Kay asked and the they all looked at Seto expectantly and he sighed a bit.

"How about seven?"

"And you will be there on time, right?" Kay asked, giving him a look.

"Yes, yes, I will."

"Pinky swear."

"What?" She leaned forward, holding out her pinky.

"You heard me."

"You have to be joking."

"Do I look like I'm joking?" she asked, her expression deadly serious, causing Seto to sweatdrop. He finally sighed, shaking his head a bit and holding out his own pinky. She wrapped her pinky around his and moved their arms up and down once before pulling back. "Ok, if you're not there on time, I will make sure karma destroys you."

"Where should we meet up?" Adelinda asked.

"How about le Madeleine?" Kay asked. "Their food is really good and it's usually really quiet at night." Mokuba and Adelinda voiced their agreement while Seto merely shrugged, his expression apathetic.

* * *

"Where is he?" Kay grumbled irritably. "He was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago."

"Maybe he got caught in traffic?" Adelinda said softly, noting Mokuba's slightly disappointed expression.

"For his sake, I hope that's the reason…"

Kay, Mokuba, and Adelinda were sitting at le Madeleine; Adelinda and Mokuba were drinking strawberry lemonades while Kay had a bottle of Perrier before her. And Seto, you guessed it, was late. And Kay was getting more than a little annoyed.

"He's still not answering his phone," Mokuba said. "I'm guessing the meeting ran over?"

"That jerk! He could at least have the decency to call. Whatever, let's just get some dinner now, I'm done waiting." She stood up and they went to stand in line and place their orders. Before long, their waiter brought out their food. Kay and Adelinda had the chicken pesto pasta while Mokuba had the tomato basil soup with a large quiche.

They managed to finish their food and each have a pastry for desert, but Seto still had not shown up.

The ride home was silent, the irritation almost palpable as it radiated from Kay. Mokuba and Adelinda went upstairs and Kay tucked them in bed at 22:00 before sitting downstairs on the couch, her arms crossed as her foot tapped impatiently.

22:43, Seto walked inside and immediately could feel her eyes stabbing into him with their gaze and sighed, turning to look at her.

"I know, I missed dinner."

"What's the excuse?" she asked icily.

"I had my phone turned off and had a last minute client show up which delayed me. By the time I finished, I figured you all had left the restaurant so I came straight home."

"You couldn't have excused yourself for a minute to at least call? Mokuba looked on the verge of tears at one point because you let him down again!"

"Mokuba understands that I'm busy."

"Seto, he's still just a kid! He needs to know he can rely on his big brother to uphold his commitments to his family! What kind of example are you setting for him?"

"I don't need you telling me how to raise my brother."

"Clearly you do!"

"Look, it's late, I'm tired, and I'm not exactly in the mood for a lecture," he said, walking upstairs and Kay followed him.

"Well too bad, because you're getting one!"

"Go home, Kay," he growled irritably.

"No! Seto, you always do this! Mokuba takes a backseat to your job and that's unfair to him! He's your brother; you need to make him your top priority." Seto threw his briefcase down on his bed and whirled on her.

"He is my priority!" he snarled. "Why do you think I'm always working? To make a life for him! You think I blow him off because I like it? No! I work as much as I do so I know he will be well off in the future!"

"Seto, you might be setting him up financially, but not psychologically! You are his main means of emotional support, and when you don't put forth the effort, he is going to end up having even more abandonment issues than he already does."

"He does not have abandonment issues."

"Then you clearly need to pay closer attention to him if you honestly think that. Do you know how many times he's called Adelinda in the middle of the night because he was scared and you weren't there? You think everything's fine because you don't listen to him! He needs you to be there, Seto, now more than ever!"

"I am there for him!" he grit.

"No you aren't!" They glared at each other and he clenched his fists.

"You are the most stubborn, infuriating woman I have ever met!" he snarled.

"And you are the most thick-headed, pompous man I have ever met!" she shot back. "Admit it! I'm right."

"I won't admit it."

"Obstinate!"

"Vexing!"

"Can't you just accept that I'm trying to help you two?"

"What do you care? It's none of your business!"

"What do you mean what do I care?" she asked in disbelief. "I love Mokuba and…" She paused and looked down at her feet, frowning a bit.

"And what?" Seto asked.

"And…I…I don't know. I think…" she said awkwardly, fumbling with her hands a bit and looking to side and Seto stared at her.

"What?" he grumbled, his tone growing more and more agitated.

"I think I might love you!" she blurted out. "Ok? Are you happy? That's why I bother trying to get through that infuriatingly thick head of yours and why I constantly pick on you, because I am pretty sure I love you. That or I'm just incredibly stupid…or both! At this point, it wouldn't surprise me." She panted a bit after her outburst and Seto just stared at her in absolute shock. She frowned and sat on his bed, crossing her knees and arms. "Well, go ahead and give me your little rejection spiel I'm sure you have ready for all the confessions."

"I'm just…surprised," he said weakly and she rolled her eyes a bit.

"Yeah, well…there you have it," she said simply.

"…I'm not going to give you some imaginary rejection speech you think I have concocted."

"Well, nice to know you don't have notecards or something for this."

"Is this really a joke to you?" he asked, frowning.

"A joke? You think I find me admitting my feelings a joke? I'm just trying not to go through an emotionally traumatic experience right now."

Seto exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "…I don't know how much I like you…but I admire you." She arched a brow. "You're not just some annoying fangirl or one of Yugi's little cheerleaders. If I ever did date anyone, you'd be the first one I'd pick." She stared at him in surprise.

"That…is honestly the sweetest thing I think you ever said to me." He actually turned a pale pink and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm not very good with these things…" he mumbled and she couldn't help but smile.

"That's ok…so…do you want to try this whole dating thing? See if it works out?" He thought about it for a moment before nodding a bit.

"Sure."

"…well…alright then," she said. "…why do I feel like we should be signing a contract or something?" He rolled his eyes a bit and she stood up, placing a kiss on his cheek. "I suppose that will have to do."

* * *

She ran down the corridors, her sandals almost soundless against the marble floors as she gripped the skirts of her dress.

"Seth!" she called, racing down the stairs outside of the palace and hurrying towards the stables. "Seth!" He turned to look at her, his hands gripping the leather reigns of a white horse.

"Yes, Khephera?" She paused, panting a bit and he chuckled slightly.

"Are you going to check on the shrines?" she managed to gasp out after taking a moment to catch her breath and he nodded with a small smile.

"Yes, Khephera. I'll be home by sunset."

"I know you still feel like a High Priest, but you need to embrace your new responsibilities." He couldn't help but smile again at her cute attempt to be firm with him. She did not yet have Lady Isis's serious demeanor in regards to royal matters, but it was still adorable all the same.

"I know." He looked around briefly before leaning down to press his lips to hers. "I'll be home before sunset, I promise." He looked up and plucked the white lotus flower that was beginning to fall out of her hair and tucked it behind her ear gently before climbing onto his horse. She waved as he rode away before turning to return to the palace.

"Lady Khephera," one of the guards said, bowing to her.

"Please tell the others I am going to the temple to pray," Khephera instructed.

"Yes, my lady. Will you have one of us escort you?"

"I don't believe that will be necessary."

"Very well, my lady." She went to her room to grab a small satchel and filled it with fruits and a bottle of wine from the kitchen before going outside to the stables. Her mare whinnied a bit when she saw her and they rode off into the desert together.

The temple was a short ride from the palace and Khephera jumped off her horse, patting her neck as she walked inside. There was a statue to Ra, Horus, and Isis carved out of a glimmering stone with various inscriptions around them. She laid the food and wine out before the statues and sank to her knees slowly, closing her eyes in prayer.

She prayed for her departed friends and family; Luna, Kisara, Isis, Mahaado, the former pharaohs, Karim, Shada, and even Akhenaden. She prayed for Egypt's prosperity and for Seth's success as the new pharaoh. She prayed for a bountiful harvest and for good health and spirits in the lives of the people.

Suddenly, the sound of her horse whinnying loudly broke her from her prayers and her eyes flew open to see a shadow looming before her. She gasped and turned to see a man wearing a cloth around his head and mouth holding a knife over her and she barely managed to roll out of the way of his attack.

"W-who are you?" He didn't answer and merely continued to lunge at her. "Stop!" She shrieked and dodged his attacks as the man continued to slash at her and she ran towards her horse that was beating at the sand with her hooves frantically. She grabbed at the reigns and jumped on but felt something sink in between her ribs and let out a choked gasp, looking down at the growing red spot on her dress.

She fell from her horse as she ran away and coughed up blood, feeling the man remove her gold anklets and arm bands forcefully as her blood seeped into the sand around her. The light around her intensified until it all suddenly went white and she could not feel anything at all anymore…

Kay jumped awake, gasping for hair desperately, tears drying on her face.

"Oh god…" she whispered, clutching at her chest. "That was…" She let out a choked sob and covered her mouth with her hand. Khephera's death…

Though her clock read 3:14 in the morning, she still fumbled for her cell phone and searched her contacts for Isis and dialed.

It rang a few times and she groaned when the voicemail came on.

"_You have reached Isis Ishtar. I'm afraid I am out-of-town and won't be back for a week, but please leave me a message and I will be sure to contact you as soon as I return. Thank you."_

_Beep._

"Isis…it's Kay…I had another one of those dreams…this time it was of Khephera dying. And…I have a really bad feeling about it. Please call me when you get this." She closed her phone and lay back down, trying to get back to sleep, but a cold fear continued to practically suffocate her all throughout the night.

* * *

"Adelinda, are you almost done yet?" Kay called. She smoothed the skirt to her strapless gown; the design a white, almost frayed frilly bosom with a deep, red, satin band around the waist that had a diamond brooch pinned and the skirt a long, black A-line with a high slit up her left leg, her shoes a modern, silver, strappy, heeled boot with tights. Her hair was in a series of messy curls with diamonds pinned throughout the top to make the ringlets tumble in a waterfall down her back and a glittering, crystal necklace and earrings completed the look.

"A-almost." Kay sighed and slid on some short, black silk gloves and grabbed her coat.

"If you don't hurry up, I'm leaving without you."

"I'm coming!" Adelinda ran out in a lavender dress that ended at her knees and had a silver rhinestone belt and matching straps. Her shoes were a pair of black, ½-inch heels and she wore her hair up in a curled, messy bun with butterfly clips on the sides. Her necklace was a crystal choker with the matching earrings and bracelet.

It'd been about 3 days since that dream, and tonight the girls were joining Seto and Mokuba at a dinner for some kind of fundraiser that neither one cared much about. They were more excited at each finally having a date with the Kaiba brothers.

They walked outside where the limo pulled up and the two brothers stepped out to greet them. Mokuba looked adorable in his black tuxedo with a deep blue shirt and light blue tie, bringing out his navy eyes. His black hair was combed back into a neat ponytail, making him look slightly more mature than normal, and causing Adelinda to blush a bit as she looked at him.

Seto chose a white tuxedo with black buttons and a blue shirt with a cobalt tie to emphasize his own eyes, his hair kept perfectly neat as always.

"You look really pretty, Addy," Mokuba said blushingly and Adelinda nodded, her face nearly burning.

"You look really handsome, Mokie." Kay smiled and hooked arms with Seto.

"Young love," she sighed and he nodded with the slightest of smiles.

"Yes. Shall we?" She nodded and the four of them slid inside the limo and they took off for the event. It was held in one of Domino's finest hotels, the ballroom decorated for the event extravagantly. There were lights and glittering, gold and white decorations everywhere. The tables were laden with various hors d'oeuvres for the guests as an orchestra played live music with a woman singing in what sounded like Italian.

"Mokuba, let's dance!" Adelinda said, pulling him towards the dance floor, and Mokuba had no choice but to stumble after her.

"They're both so cute," Kay said, giggling.

"Would you care for a drink?" he asked.

"Sure." He beckoned a waiter over and they each took a glass of champagne and toasted before taking a sip.

"You look lovely, by the way."

"Wow, a compliment." She smiled at him. "You look very nice too, by the way."

"Kaiba!" He groaned a bit but put on a polite expression as a man walked up, a pair of scantily clad barbies on each arm. "I didn't think you were going to show, old boy."

"Of course I showed," he said simply. "Just because I'm busy running my company doesn't mean I don't have some time to attend these functions."

"Charming as ever, Kaiba, but who is this lovely little lady?" he asked, smirking at Kay.

"I'm…"

"My date," Seto said simply, placing a hand on Kay's waist. "So kindly leave her be, I'm pretty sure you have your share of women for the night, Naru."

"Ooh, touchy. You must really like this one, Kaiba."

"I do, as a matter of fact. Now, if you'll excuse us." He led her away and Naru looked a little bit irritated as his two wenches gawked after Seto. "Sorry about him…" Seto sighed.

"It's ok. I kinda liked seeing you get possessive, makes me know you care." He rolled his eyes and she kissed him on the cheek. "Lighten up, Seto, tonight's supposed to be fun!"

"I know, I know."

"Then let's follow Adelinda and Mokuba's example and dance for a bit." She grabbed his hands and pulled him out onto the dance floor and he sighed a bit but accepted, placing his hand on her waist and holding her hand in his, leading her into the waltz.

"So do you think the press is going to attack you over us?"

"Probably," Seto said. "I was one of Domino's most eligible bachelors apparently."

"Just keep those crazy fangirls away from me. I don't want to have my eyes clawed out."

"Don't worry; I'll protect you from them. Quite frankly, I don't want to deal with them much either, so I'll up security whenever we go out."

"Good!" He spun her and pulled her to him and she leaned against him, listening to the soft rhythm of his heartbeat.

The song ended and everyone stopped dancing to clap for the orchestra, but the glass window suddenly shattered and everyone shrieked and ducked down as three men wearing black masks, carrying guns.

"Alright, everyone get down!" the first guy shouted in a gruff voice. "Keep your hands where we can see them and nobody gets hurt."

All of the guests, waiters, and musicians got on their knees and held their hands up shakily as the men went around the room, aiming their weapons at everyone.

They began going around, looking at each person and Kay looked around frantically for Mokuba and Adelinda. She finally spotted them near the orchestra with some other people, Adelinda trembling and Mokuba whispering to her, probably trying to comfort her. One of the men came towards them and Adelinda whimpered, catching his attention.

"Hey boss," he called, grabbing Adelinda roughly by the arm, causing her to scream.

"Addy!" Kay said, jumping up and one man aimed a gun at her.

"Get back on your knees, girly, if you know what's good for you." She growled but slowly sank down to her knees again and Adelinda continued shaking like a leaf.

"Perhaps we oughta hold this one in case anyone decides to try any funny business."

"Yeah, good plan. Alright, all you stuffed shirts, I am here for a quick buck, in case you can't tell. So, hand over all your money and the girl goes free and you all can go back to your pompous lives. Sound like a fair trade?" He cocked the gun and aimed it at Adelinda. "Or do I need to persuade everyone here to meet my demands?"

The people all began shuffling and the other two held their guns out.

"Hold it! One person at a time." They dragged Adelinda over to the window and pointed at the man who was crouched closest to them. He crawled over shakily and reached into his pocket, handing them all of the cash in his wallet and the golden watch on his wrist.

"Ring too, pal."

"Please no, it's my wedding band and-"

"Ring. NOW." He jumped and slowly slid the wedding band off his finger, dripping it on the pile of cash before moving away.

"Next!"

"Seto, we have to do something!" Kay whispered.

"But if we move, they'll shoot her," he said quietly and Kay frowned and looked around.

"Give me your phone…"

"Kay, you can't risk calling the police, they'll see you!"

"I'm not calling the police; I'm going to text Cat. She can call the police."

"It's too dangerous," he hissed.

"Trust me."

"Next!"

"Hurry," he mumbled, slipping her his phone and she hid behind him and another man, her fingers pounding on the keys furiously as the men were occupied with a woman's jewelry.

_Call 911. Hotel being held up by robbers. HURRY_

She hit send and Seto replaced the phone in his pocket and she prayed Cat got the text and didn't waste time trying to reply.

Before long, Seto was called up and he set down his watch.

"Where's your money, pal?"

"Don't have any. My donation was made with a check, I didn't bring anything else."

"Don't lie to us! We know you, Seto Kaiba, and you're loaded! So if you know what's good for you, you'll lay down some dough before you taste these bullets." Kay bit her lips, wishing the police would hurry up and get there before these men lost their patience.

"I don't have any money. If you don't believe me, you're welcome to search my pockets."

"Ah, smart guy, eh? Well what if we shoot the girl here? Maybe that'll convince you to look a little harder." He pressed the gun to Adelinda's head and she stared at Seto fearfully and he growled.

"Stop!" Kay begged. "I'll give you all the jewelry I have and money, but please don't shoot her! He's not lying!"

"Shut up!" one man growled and sirens filled the air from outside, the lights of the police cars approaching the hotel.

"Shit, it's the cops!" Seto took their moment of distraction to punch the man holding Adelinda and pulled her away from him, ducking behind a table when the other two tried shooting him.

"Boss, let's get out of here, we got plenty of money!"

"Damn it!" The cars pulled up outside and Seto moved toward Kay with Adelinda as everyone began trying to move away from the men.

"Adelinda, are you alright?" Kay asked and she nodded.

"I-I think so." She hugged her and Mokuba approached them as the police surrounded the building, demanding the men come outside with their hands up. They began to move toward the window and Kay watched them as Mokuba hugged Adelinda. One of them paused for a moment before turning and running for his gun and he held it up, aiming it at the crowd.

"I am not leaving empty handed!" he snarled.

"Boss!"

"Don't make this worse for yourself!" the other guy shouted. He twitched furiously and began shooting and everyone dove for the floor. He continued shooting nonstop until it seemed like he was out of bullets.

Everyone began to get up slowly and he suddenly shot again and Kay's eyes widened.

"Seto!"

The officers pinned him to the ground, handcuffing him and the entire room was in chaos.

"Are you alright, Seto?" Mokuba asked.

"I think so," he said.

"K-K-Kay…" they looked to see Adelinda staring at Kay in horror and their eyes widened at the red liquid on her hand as she lifted it off her stomach. They stumbled to her and Seto held her in his arms and she gasped a bit, her breaths short and uneven.

"We need a doctor!" Mokuba yelled and one of the officers nodded and ran outside.

"Kay…hold on, we're going to get you help, ok?" Seto said, his voice a bit shaky and she looked up at him almost tiredly and swallowed, reaching up for his face.

"Are you alright?" she whispered and he nodded slowly.

"Yeah…I'm fine."

"Good…that's good…" she sighed softly. "Seto…please promise me something. Promise me you'll watch over Adelinda…"

"Don't talk like that! We'll get you to a doctor; you're going to be ok." Adelinda nodded, tears running down her face.

"He's right, Kay! You're going to be alright, so…so don't say things like that!" She shook her head a bit.

"I'm so sorry, Adelinda," she said, her voice wavering a bit and soft. "I'm so sorry this happened. I never ever wanted to leave you alone…but I don't think I have a choice right now."

"No Kay, please…" she begged, sobbing as she hugged her. "I can't lose you too."

"Adelinda…Seto, and Mokuba, and Uncle…they'll be there for you. And so will Cat…and Kristen, and Yugi…and everyone else." She coughed a bit, a small speck of blood on her lip. Seto tightened his grip on her, feeling the tears forming in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. The heart formed a painful knot in his chest and she stroked his cheek slowly. "Seto…I really do love you."

"Kay…"

"All the time I had with you has been precious. I don't regret a minute of it, even those stupid fights."

"Please don't…" he whispered. "I don't want you to die."

"I'm sorry…Seto…" Her hand fell limp and she slowly closed her eyes and he gasped as her head fell back slightly.

"Kay! KAY!" He shook her desperately. "Kay, please breathe! Come on, you have to! Breathe! Say something!" Adelinda sobbed and Mokuba held her, tears coursing down his face as the paramedics ran towards them

The loaded her onto the gurney and began trying to revive her as they ran back to the ambulance. Seto sat there, feeling hollow as he listened to Adelinda and Mokuba crying. He looked over at them and moved toward them, gently taking them both in his arms and he felt them cry into his chest.

He was a little startled when he felt the hot tears rolling down his cheeks and he closed his eyes, deciding to give in and allow himself to cry with them.

_He found the white lotus flower with a single spot of red and gripped it in his hands in disbelief. The sun beat on his head as he fell to his knees and cried._

* * *

_...Hi, you've reached Kay and Adelinda. Sorry we're not available right now, please leave us a message!_

_Beep!_

_"Kay? It's Isis. I just got your message, so come by the museum if you want to talk. Hopefully that memory doesn't mean anything serious."_

_Beep!_

* * *

**-Sits holding a clipboard and a pen- ok, let's see…I think I've done just about every terrible thing I can do to an OC possible. Is it wrong to say that I'm proud of that? But… -sniffle- I actually started crying as I wrote it out…I just imagined it so well in my head and...tears...**

**Yes, the tenth chapter involved killing my OC. I think Angel Beats! fed a large amount of my inspiration in terms of dialogue, since I was listening to the score from that show while writing the last scene. Still…I am kinda proud of it. And I swear, if anyone says Seto is being OOC…COME ON! Cut me a break! Someone he cares about just died in his arms, I think he's allowed to break his stoic façade to cry in that situation.**

**So…please review. This is the tenth chappie, I'd love to see…well, 10 reviews, but I'm not holding my breath. Let's go with lucky number 7! 10 reviews will give you guys an extra long next chapter, but 7 will make me extra happy!**

**Next word? **

_**Vampire**_

**This'll be fun.**


End file.
